Folding phones are becoming increasingly popular. Are they worth it?

Folding phone’s enormous inside screens make them excellent for immersing themselves in movies, books, and games.

Your phone is capable of taking award-winning images, playing any song ever recorded, and connecting you to the sum total of human knowledge. Can it, however, be folded in half? The answer is most likely no, but your next phone might be. According to International Data Corporation, global sales of foldable smartphones are likely to increase by more than 50% this year, as Motorola, Google, and Samsung all compete to sell you their latest models.

Anyone who used a mobile in the early 2000s will be familiar with flip-style foldables. When open, they look like regular cellphones, but you can close them by flipping them shut. It includes the all-new Galaxy Z Flip 5 from Samsung, Google Pixel Fold and Motorola's 2023 Razr+. These gadgets may feel bulky in comparison to typical phones, but their enormous inside screens make them excellent for immersing themselves in movies, books, and games. They're also ideal for multitasking—you'll be able to utilize at least two programs simultaneously, and in some situations, up to four.

The key advantage is portability. They can be stuffed into a pocket or a small bag more easily, and newer models sweeten the bargain with features like huge external screens. That means you can use them to frame selfies with the phone's main cameras, manage your music swiftly, and respond to messages without opening the phone.