A year ago, I never expected to write this. Samsung had just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 with iterative changes over the Z Fold 4, and Google’s first attempt at a folding phone left a lot to be desired. Google had phenomenal software features like Call Screen and Live Transcribe, but Samsung had much better hardware, the S-Pen, and incredible productivity tools.
Fast-forward a year, and it’s a very different landscape. Samsung made further iterations with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and it’s a phenomenal folding phone. The form factor and size are great, especially when using two apps side-by-side on the main display. It has an S-Pen, and I love using mine. The problem is I can’t stop thinking about the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
I love the regular Google Pixel 9, and the experience has made me genuinely excited about Google’s second folding act. The Pixel experience is finally premium, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is much more refined than the first Pixel Fold. Awkward naming convention aside, Google’s second foldable looks like the foldable I’ve been waiting for.
Google’s Pixel Fold sequel is a thriller
Google used all the feedback for the Pixel Fold to improve the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in every way. It’s thinner, lighter, and much more premium. I bought the first Pixel Fold, and it was quickly relegated to the drawer — largely because the hardware felt significantly behind the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the OnePlus Open. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold almost certainly won’t face that same fate.
It weighs almost an ounce less than last year’s Pixel Fold, and you notice it as soon as you pick it up. It’s the difference between carrying a foldable phone or an iPad mini; both may fit in a pocket, but the latter is significantly heavier. It’s also just 5.1mm thin at the thinnest point and feels incredible in the hand. It isn’t the thinnest foldable in the world, but it is the thinnest foldable available in the U.S.
The front display has been revamped as Samsung did between the first and second generations of the Galaxy Z Fold. It’s now 0.5 inch bigger at 6.3 inches and the same size as the Pixel 9 Pro. The Pixel 9 Pro will likely be my phone of the year, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the same phone in a folding form factor.
The main display on the original Pixel Fold left much to be desired, and the 8-inch display on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is significantly better. It’s bigger at 8 inches (versus 6.3), has a variable refresh rate of 1Hz-120Hz, and is considerably brighter. From what we’ve seen so far, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold screen is beautiful and one of the improvements that I’m most excited about.
What about the cameras?
I love my Galaxy Z Fold 6, but one area that leaves me wanting more is the camera. It’s perfectly fine but not as capable as other foldables. Considering the competition, the camera should be significantly better for $1,800.
Phones like the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 and Honor Magic V3 prove you can have a thin folding phone with a great camera. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold uses the same camera system as last year and, sadly, lacks the upgraded selfie camera from the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. That said, I’m still holding out hope.
The 48-megapixel wide sensor is paired with a 10.8MP telephoto sensor offering 5x optical zoom and a 10.5MP ultrawide camera. It’s the same setup as last year, but Google’s prowess is in its algorithms/image processing, and previous Pixel phones have performed magic with less-capable hardware.
I love the new Made You Look feature. Any new uncle or parent will tell you that taking photos of a young child is hard. My niece is 3 years old and camera shy when she notices. Smiley faces and cute animations on the front display are designed to make a child look at the camera, but much like the animations on the Motorola Razr Plus, it’ll make everyone laugh.
Add Me is also a fun way to express yourself using AI. It uses AI to assist you in duplicating yourself in a photo or to capture everyone in a group, including the photographer. There’s nothing worse than a group memory that’s missing someone, and Add Me makes this easier. Like other folding phones, you can also easily use the front display to take selfies with the main cameras.
A balanced blend of hardware and software
Google’s approach to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has been pretty straightforward: fix the problems from the first generation and add the necessary hardware for a smooth experience. The Tensor G4 chip isn’t much different from the Tensor G3, but the bump to 16GB of RAM should make everything much smoother.
I’ve only spent limited time with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but it already felt snappier and more responsive than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Like the rest of the Pixel 9 range, the Tensor G4 seems more than capable, and the vapor chamber in all but the non-Pro model keeps things cool. The regular Google Pixel 9 doesn’t have a vapor chamber, but it hasn’t overheated in the two weeks I’ve used it.
A primary concern with foldable phones is their durability. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is IP48 dust and water-resistant, protecting against dust and small particles under the display. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold drops the dust portion to IPX8, but the thinner, more compact hinge should provide more protection than last year’s Pixel Fold.
The 4,650mAh battery inside the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 250mAh larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but I expect both to deliver similar battery life. This may be where the Tensor G4 falls against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 inside Samsung’s foldable, but we’ll find out in the full review. 37W charging (with Google’s 45W charging brick) should mean a fairly rapid initial charge, but I’m not thrilled when the OnePlus Open can charge from 0% to 100% in an hour; I wish both Samsung and Google hadn’t compromised on fast charging.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the real deal
That all said, I wish the Pixel 9 Pro Fold were better in a few areas. Faster charging speeds, a lighter design, and less of a bezel on the side of the cover display would be welcome improvements. There are also a few things that I will miss about the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which will stay in my rotation.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold lacks the S Pen, which is handy for drawing, annotating, and signing. It isn’t as polished at multitasking, and although Samsung has partnered with Google to improve this in Android, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a productivity champion. One UI is also far more customizable, allowing you to make the Galaxy Z Fold 6 your own.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold solves real-world problems, and I can’t wait for mine to arrive.
For five years, I’ve been waiting for Google hardware to be good enough to entice me to switch. AI-powered real-time transcription in the voice recorder app is a blessing when you report from events as it is fast enough to be a useful fact-check. Call Screening could finally be the answer to my spam call nightmare. These real-world benefits solve daily problems for me, and I’ll finally be able to use them.
Thankfully, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold hardware is good enough to make me want to switch, and the benefits of using a Pixel phone are the cherry on top. I can’t wait for mine to arrive.
