For years, foldable phones haven’t exactly been praised for their battery life. However, that’s starting to change.
Because of their unique design, foldables have traditionally struggled to match the battery life of conventional slab phones. Their massive displays, space-consuming hinge mechanisms and limited room for heat dissipation all present challenges. But battery technology has improved in recent years, with some of the newest foldables benefiting from higher-energy-density silicon-carbon batteries and more power-efficient processors. Even slim phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can last all day, showing that you don’t have to sacrifice practicality for a sleek, innovative design.
Still, foldable phones remain a niche category, even with a major player like Apple entering the market with the iPhone Duo. But they offer an appealing alternative for anyone looking to break away from the sameness of more traditional slab phones. And with battery life being a key consideration when choosing a new device, it’s important to know which phone can keep up with all your scrolling, streaming and snapping without constantly reaching for a charger.
We’ve dug into CNET’s extensive smartphone lab data to find out which foldable phone in 2026 delivers the best battery life. Because book-style and flip phones differ in design and screen size, we’re separating the results to provide a more accurate comparison.
Here’s how devices from Samsung, Apple, Google and Motorola stack up.
Which book-style foldable has the best battery life?
This year, CNET has reviewed and tested five book-style foldable phones: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, Motorola Razr Fold, Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold and the Apple iPhone Duo. These devices are phone-tablet hybrids, with designs ranging from taller, narrower builds to squatter, passport-style designs. (We didn’t include Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold because of its unique design.)
Apple’s $1,999 iPhone Duo may be late to the foldable game, arriving seven years after Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold ushered in the modern era of foldable phones. Still, given Apple’s strong brand loyalty and mainstream appeal, the Duo has generated considerable buzz.
And there’s another reason Apple’s first foldable deserves attention: its battery. The iPhone Duo achieved the highest average score in CNET’s testing among book-style phones. It’s a testament to its dual-cell battery design, which is standard in foldables, and the efficiency of the A20 Pro chip powering the device.
To test a phone’s battery, CNET runs a 3-hour streaming video test and a 45-minute endurance test that includes watching videos, scrolling through social media, playing a game and joining a video call. Both tests take place on the foldable phone’s inner screen, starting with a full charge and while connected to Wi-Fi.
The iPhone Duo had the highest remaining charge after the 45-minute endurance test, finishing with 99%. It ended the 3-hour streaming test with 84%, placing it just below the Razr Fold, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra in that category. That average gives the Duo, which has a 4,883-mAh battery, the number-one place in our foldable battery tests.
Not far behind is the Razr Fold, Motorola’s first book-style foldable. This phone has a whopping 6,000-mAh silicon-carbon battery, which helped it earn one of the top spots in our battery testing.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, which is the company’s first palm-size foldable phone, just barely tops the more standard-size Z Fold 8 Ultra. Both phones are the thinnest in this ranking, which makes their results even more impressive. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 measures 4.5mm thick when unfolded and 9.7mm when folded, and has a 4,800-mAh silicon-carbon battery. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is 4.1mm thick when open and 8.9mm when closed, and it has a 5,000-mAh silicon-carbon battery.
Close behind the competition is Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which has a 4,806-mAh battery. Like the other phones, including the iPhone Duo, it performed relatively better in the endurance test than in the streaming test. That suggests these devices handle shorter bursts of use well but can take a more noticeable battery hit during prolonged activities like video streaming. Even so, they should easily power through a full day of mixed use, whether you’re watching movies, scrolling through social media or taking photos.
Overall, every book-style foldable we tested demonstrated strong battery results. Beyond the numbers, our hands-on experience suggests you can get through most days without constantly worrying about your phone’s battery level. Be sure to check out CNET’s in-depth reviews for more on the everyday experience using each of these phones.
Which clamshell foldable has the best battery life?
Some people may prefer the more nostalgic design of a flip phone. Motorola revived its iconic Razr brand for the smartphone era, and now has a handful of devices at varying price points to choose from. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 8 is another pocket-friendly choice.
These clamshell devices have less space for a battery than larger foldable and slab phones. Still, Motorola’s and Samsung’s battery specs are nothing to sniff at.
This year’s $800 Motorola Razr has a 4,800-mAh battery, the $1,100 Razr Plus has a 4,500-mAh battery and the $1,500 Razr Ultra has a 5,000-mAh battery. Meanwhile, the $1,200 Z Flip 8 has a 4,300-mAh battery. Every one of these phones uses a silicon-carbon battery to squeeze more power into a smaller design.
Impressively, the baseline Motorola Razr got the best average score in our battery testing of clamshell phones. It also had the highest result in CNET’s 3-hour streaming test among its peers and tied with the much pricier Razr Ultra in our battery endurance test. The Razr Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Razr Plus are in close succession.
Interestingly, the flip phones aren’t that far behind their book-style counterparts in our testing. One key advantage is that their smaller cover and inner displays require less power, helping them keep pace with larger foldables.
The results are also a testament to how battery technology is progressing, with the mobile industry increasingly shifting toward high-density silicon-carbon batteries, which can pack more capacity into tighter dimensions. This means that regardless of whether you choose a book-style or clamshell foldable, you can be assured that your battery won’t leave you in the lurch as you go about your day.
Final thoughts: How good is the battery life on foldable phones?
From the newest foldables like the iPhone Duo and Pixel 11 Pro Fold to flip phones from Motorola and Samsung, you no longer have to sacrifice battery life for a more versatile mobile design. Today’s devices can comfortably get you through a full day of swiping, scrolling and snapping photos, even with larger screens to power.
In fact, when ranked among all the phones CNET tested this year, including non-folding options, the iPhone Duo sits among the top five performers, with the iPhone 18 Pro Max taking the top overall spot.
That’s especially important given that a major part of a foldable phone’s appeal is the ability to switch between two displays. You can quickly send a text on a smaller screen, then move to a larger one to watch a movie, for example. That versatility requires a battery capable of handling more intensive tasks like streaming and gaming, as well as extended activities like browsing and working across multiple displays.
And while the iPhone Duo and Motorola Razr topped CNET’s foldable battery tests, the other phones we evaluated weren’t far behind, highlighting just how competitive battery life has become across the leading brands. Ultimately, choosing the right foldable will come down to other factors, including camera performance, design and price.
Our testing data, combined with real-world experiences shared in our in-depth reviews, illustrates just how far foldable phones have evolved. They’re no longer just a novelty; they’ve become increasingly practical devices in their own right.
Abrar Al-Heeti
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