Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is arguably the best foldable phone on the planet right now, and the best Google phone ever made-perhaps better than Pixel 9 Pro. Your choice however depends on your needs, and how much you’re willing to spend.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the successor to the 2023 Google Pixel Fold, is released along with the Pixel 9 series (hence the rather awkward name).
Having tested the handset for four weeks now, I have a lot to say. Basically, it’s a foldable that works as a phone when closed and opens out to a tablet-style square display that works particularly well for certain apps. It’ll cost at least $1,799, so you’ll need some spare cash.
What’s new in 2024
It’s hard to write a review like this that caters to everyone: those with foldable phones and those who do not; those with Pixel phones and those who don’t; those with iPhones and don’t want to wait until Apple makes a foldable… you name it. Pixel 9 Pro Fold questions differ based on where you’re coming from.
Google Pixel Fold owners wondering if this is a substantial upgrade can rest assured that it undoubtedly is. Speed, thinness, and lightness, plus a larger and brighter main screen. Except for the cameras, the Pixel 9 is a much better phone, and that doesn’t even include the Pixel Screenshots software exclusive.
When it’s closed, it works much better than its predecessor. The thinner and lighter form factor is also helped by the display’s 20:9 aspect ratio. During most of my time with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, it was folded shut and masquerading as a regular smartphone (something I enjoyed).
Despite the slight redesign, I like the overall feel and look of the phone (even if it’s not ideal for lying flat): It feels like a premium device. You can choose from either obsidian (black) or porcelain (a pale cream shade), although the latter option isn’t widely available at the moment.
Batteries, performance, and camera
You get 48MP wide + 10.8MP telephoto + 10.5MP ultrawide rear cameras, as well as 10MP selfie cameras on the cover and main screens-that’s better than the Pixel 9, but doesn’t quite match the Pixel 9 Pro’s performance. Despite the comparisons, it captures some excellent photos and videos, featuring natural-looking colors and well-defined details.
The Pixels perform well in low light too (thanks to the Night Sight feature), as well as for zooming and macros. Certainly, there is no compromise here when it comes to images and videos. Not to mention the AI enhancements (more on that later).
GeekBench 6 records for single-core and multicore are 1,939 and 4,307, respectively, with a Google Tensor G4 and 16GB. In spite of this, the phone handles the majority of tasks very quickly indeed. Genshin Impact did not cause any problems, so most people will be fine with this.
It’s about as good as any phone out there (or so it feels): 2 full days of use or more, depending on how you use it, but you should charge it overnight. As far as that goes, it’s fine, though if you plan on gaming on the big screen a lot, your results may vary. Battery life is only average, according to PCMag.
Photographs
The price of one screen is doubled for (double) the number of screens
Taking all the essentials and key specs into consideration, we can ask whether the price of entry for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is justified. In spite of the price being similar to a Galaxy Z Fold 6, the phone is a lot more than a Pixel 9 Pro (or iPhone 16 Pro Max), so you need to be certain you’ll use that form factor.
Although the fold in the middle is still very much visible after four weeks of use, the folding screen does feel well constructed and durable. Brightness, color, and clarity make the main 8-inch display one of the best on the market.
Playing games optimized for a larger display works really well on that big screen (in particular, Alto’s Adventure and SimCity BuildIt). It’s also easier to read webpages and documents, and it’s easier to type with once you’re used to it.
The story isn’t all good. Due to the 1:1 screen aspect ratio, Netflix videos leave huge letterbox bars at the top and bottom – in this case, the outer display is better. Using YouTube at least, you get playback controls on the bottom, but again, the video itself isn’t much larger than a traditional phone’s video.
In addition, some apps and games simply aren’t designed to fit a square 8-inch display: they run fine, look okay, but they’re either stretched out, or too small. When you hold a foldable in 2 hands, your fingers tend to get all over the outer display, but you can’t avoid it with a foldable.
Also, you can take selfies with the superior rear camera, since the cover display shows your face. In fact, Google offers a feature along these lines called Made You Look, with an animated display on the outside display to encourage your kids to look into the camera and at you as you take shots.
Google Android and AI
Pixel Android now runs on Google phones, so you’ll get the usual slew of exclusives—like the at-a-glance home screen widget and audio-to-text recording app. As part of the Pixel 9 series, google has introduced a brand new Weather app that offers radar maps, precipitation warnings, and satellite SOS connectivity.
Google has been announcing a lot of AI lately: Some of it exclusive to the Pixel 9s, and some (like Gemini) available on older Pixels. Several of these features were tested in our Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro reviews. Pixel Screenshots is the app I use most often, as it allows you to automatically sort and search your screenshots, so you can quickly revisit half-forgotten receipts, shopping ideas, social media postings, and more.
Besides Audio Magic Eraser, I also like Zoom Enhance feature in Camera app that uses AI to fill in more details at higher zoom levels. In low-light photography, for example, Night Sight brings benefits without getting into uncomfortable territory or simply being pointless.
Additionally, I don’t really have any use for Gemini’s AI-generated email or message tools in the Pixel Studio app beyond a few minutes of playing around with them. Likewise, I’d rather just keep my photos as they were captured rather than use the Magic Editor and Add Me tools to manipulate them.
How does Pixel 9 Pro Fold compare?
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gives you a phone nearly as good as the Pixel 9 Pro while having a second 8-inch screen for games, messaging, and multitasking. This is the argument against it: You’re paying almost twice as much. This phone makes that calculation for you.
Personally, I don’t think a bigger screen would be worth $1,799 (or more, if you need 512GB of storage instead of 256GB). People I showed the phone to nearly always expressed their admiration for the folding screen and the two displays but were put off by its price. Having gotten past the wow factor, they weren’t convinced they’d use it much.
Foldable phones are still a bit more delicate than your average handset, even if we’re well past the crisis when they crack in half. It comes with covers, but they don’t protect the hinge, and I’d be a bit worried about taking it out and carrying it around. Consider phone insurance if you buy this.
I still think this is a great phone despite my reservations. The phone is solidly constructed, well-built, and packed with smart software features, AI, and capturing tools. Eventually, every phone will be a foldable phone, as they become thinner and (eventually) cheaper: a phone most of the time, and a tablet screen when needed. Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold means a big step towards that future.
