Motorola and Google foldables are quietly beating Samsung where it counts

If you need a foldable with the best specs and budget isn’t a factor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra takes the crown. It isn’t even really that close. With its thin-and-light form factor, 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, and standout rear camera system, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is arguably the flagship foldable with the fewest compromises. So why don’t I want to use it?

I’ve tried every book-style foldable released in the US this year, and if I ranked them in the order of most likely to earn a spot in my pocket, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra would come in last. I’d pick both the Motorola Razr Fold and the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold over it, despite their weaker performance and hardware drawbacks. I’d even go with the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 over the Ultra model, accepting its limitations.

Flashy specs aren’t enough to win the foldable race anymore — Motorola and Google know it, and they’re proving it.

Motorola’s Razr Fold is an enigma. It’s class-leading in battery life, with a 6,000mAh battery capacity that gets you two days of usage on a single charge in the real world. It might have the best folding display you can get, as the Razr Fold’s 8.1-inch screen is the largest and brightest on the market, and it supports the Moto Pen Ultra stylus. However, the base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor doesn’t align with the phone’s $1,900 price point — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra clears it in overall performance with its overclocked Elite chip.

I’m eager to overlook the Razr Fold’s mid-tier processor because of everything else it offers. Specifically, the Razr Fold feels the most natural to hold out of all the foldables I’ve used. It’s thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra by about a millimeter, but the phone’s build quality and materials make up for it. Motorola partnered with Pantone to make the Razr Fold with a vegan-leather back, and it’s one of my favorite things about the foldable.

I used the Lily White model, which has a matte vegan leather finish that is soft to the touch. The other version, Blackened Blue, has a textured vegan leather finish that adds grip to the rear surface. I much prefer it to the matte glass back on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, even if the latter is a bit slimmer.

The cover screen is a similar story. Both the Razr Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra have cover screens with a 21:9 aspect ratio, but Motorola’s is slightly larger. That extra diagonal screen space makes the Razr Fold less than a millimeter wider when shut. I know that’s a small amount, but it helps the Razr Fold look and feel more like a traditional smartphone than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Motorola’s support of an active stylus on the main display is a direct replacement for a feature Samsung removed from its Galaxy Z Fold models last year. I won’t let the lack of an Elite chip stop me from enjoying the Razr Fold, and the foldable’s design and displays are major reasons why.

Not everyone has the same smartphone design flavor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Motorola Razr Fold isn’t your style. While I don’t find the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s design to be as exciting, it has two objective advantages that put it ahead of every other foldable. I can’t believe Samsung, or any other Android brand for that matter, hasn’t added Qi2 magnets to its phones. The convenience of being able to drop your phone on wireless chargers and get a perfect alignment is unmatched. I’ve been using MagSafe wallets and kickstands with my phones for years, and I can’t imagine not having it.

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the only foldable with magnetic Qi2 support, and the feature makes perfect sense for the form factor. You can prop up a book-style foldable like a laptop, and the hinge essentially functions as a built-in stand. But you need a separate accessory to use the large folding display to its full potential. I’d rather not add bulk to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s 10.1mm chassis by using a case, and thanks to the built-in magnets, I don’t have to.

I can magnetically attach a wallet or stand to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold when I need it and remove it when I don’t. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the only foldable that can do this without a case, and this feature alone makes Google’s phone worth considering.

Not every foldable user needs Qi2, but every foldable user will benefit from the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s IP68 certification. A year after the Pixel 10 Pro Fold surprisingly debuted with the highest level of dust resistance on the International Protection (IP) scale, Google’s foldables are still the only models sold in the US to support it. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra only support IP48, while the Razr Fold has extra IP48/IP49 protection against high-pressure and high-temperature water jets. But none of those phones are completely dustproof, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is dust-tight.

This matters more for foldables than any other type of phone. If a small piece of dust, sand, or pocket lint gets into the hinge assembly, folding phones can be damaged. You might hear grinding noises when opening or closing a foldable with dust inside the hinge, or notice the phone doesn’t fully open. At worst, a phone’s folding display can completely break due to dust. Foldables are more durable than ever, but dust resistance is still the weak point for many phones — the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is different.

From a specs perspective, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s Tensor G6 chip can’t compete with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Google’s foldable has a smaller battery, too. However, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a one-of-a-kind in durability and Qi2 accessory support, and that might matter more to the average buyer than performance and battery capacity.

When the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 hit the scene last year, it immediately became the default recommendation for those looking for a book-style foldable. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold was practically irrelevant as soon as it came out. It had incredible features like magnetic Qi2 and IP68 durability, but that wasn’t enough to overcome the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s slow performance, thick chassis, and large bezels. Now, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is an even better version of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but Samsung’s flagship foldable faces a different kind of competition.

Motorola and Google aren’t trying to challenge Samsung on performance. The Razr Fold and Pixel 11 Pro Fold will lose that battle to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra almost every time. Instead, they’re focusing on winning everywhere else. Motorola’s Razr Fold has the battery life and design to beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold stands out for its durability and Qi2 support. It doesn’t hurt that both phones are $200 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, either.

I thought I wanted the thinnest and fastest foldable, but this year’s releases surprised me. I’d rather have the Razr Fold, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, or Galaxy Z Fold 8 in my pocket because each of those foldables offers something unique you won’t find anywhere else. Samsung’s superb hardware isn’t enough to convince me to choose the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra over the alternatives.