Survey suggests the days of viewing foldable phones as a novelty are over

Foldable phones have never enjoyed a more established position in the smartphone market than today, with almost every major and minor manufacturer offering a bendable device. Some are highly refined thanks to multiple revisions across generations, while others are more experimental. Either way, and as someone who has used a traditional smartphone for years, I think it’s fair to say they remain an outsider’s choice for those seeking a reliable, simple, daily smartphone. But, do our readers agree?

In a recent poll, we asked you whether you’d use a foldable as your daily phone in 2026, given the multitude of choices on the market and the form factor’s maturity since its debut some seven years ago. Well, the votes are now in, and here’s what you think.

This survey had just over 2,500 respondents, but more than 2,000 settled on one answer. In a huge win for foldable phones and the companies that make them, 84.4% of readers who voted would use a foldable as their daily driver.

What I find remarkable is how perceptions of foldables have changed in just a few years. In 2021, we posted a poll asking readers if foldables are the “new mainstream” for smartphones. Of the nearly 3,400 votes received, only 26.2% of respondents answered “yes,” while 32.7% replied “no.” However, 41.1% of readers voted, “Not yet, but it will be.” This group certainly called it.

Notably, the latest of the two polls was conducted alongside an opinion piece about the Galaxy Z Fold 7, a device that my colleague Zac Kew-Denniss had used daily for several months. It’s certainly one of the most refined devices on the market, but like every phone, it still has its quirks. If this question were paired with another foldable phone, the poll results might differ slightly.

Despite the overwhelming popularity of modern foldables, readers have varied yet strong opinions about the form factor.

Those against still question the durability of foldable phones. Reader plumblucky writes: “To each his own, but foldables are really just a joke and those who buy them are the punchline.”

Others can’t understand why these premium devices are treated with fewer features than proper foldables. Reader zaryababutt writes:

I don’t understand why Samsung treats their foldables like a tier below. No S pen, bad cameras, missing features from the Ultra series. Like why? If someone is going to spend 2000+$ on a phone they just won’t get one missing features. Why is the S Ultra line the flagship but Folds don’t get that treatment?

To balance this out, others are full of praise for foldables. Reader kopkiwi08 explains:

Am of the opinon [sic] those that whine about Foldable phones, despite never owning one, fit into two camps. 1. Those that can’t afford it and are jealous of those that can, and 2. those that don’t want to acknowledge there are other, beneficial form factors. Having owned the Samsung Fold 6 and 7, Oppo N Fold and now the Honor Magic V5 I’ve never had an issue with any of them and find them fantastic for daily use.

Foldable devices — not just phones — are certainly having a moment in the spotlight. While it might take a far greater leap in value for me to snag a foldable phone as my daily driver, I can’t knock those willing and eager to take the plunge today.

Do you use a foldable phone as your main device? What are your joys and gripes? Be sure to let your feelings be heard in the comments section below.