The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the latest foldable phone from Google, offering a significant upgrade over its predecessor. With a refined design, a faster processor, satellite communication features, and improved displays, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold represents a major step forward in the foldable phone market.
Design and Build:
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold boasts a sleeker and more ergonomic design compared to its predecessor. The folded form factor is now closer to a standard slab phone, while the unfolded layout is nearly square, resulting in a more intuitive user experience. The phone is also significantly slimmer, measuring just 5.1mm when unfolded and 10.5mm when folded. However, it still weighs 260 grams, making it slightly heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. The new design features a matte glass back with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, a satin finish on the frame, and aviation-grade aluminum construction. The stainless steel hinge has also been improved to ensure durability.
Display:
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold features two displays: the outer display and the inner display. The outer OLED display measures 6.3 inches with a 1080 by 2424 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, offering a wider aspect ratio of 20:9. This is a significant upgrade over the previous generation, which suffered from massive bezels. The inner display, dubbed the “Super Actua” display, is a massive 8 inches with a resolution of 2076 by 2152. It features a dynamic refresh rate that varies between 1Hz and 120Hz, depending on the content. Both displays support HDR playback, including HDR10+ and other open codecs. Google has also chosen brighter displays with a peak brightness of up to 1,800 nits while outdoors or playing HDR content and 2,700 nits of peak brightness (measured per pixel).
Performance:
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is powered by Google’s own Tensor G4 chipset, which provides a significant performance boost over the Tensor G2 in the previous Fold. However, it’s not as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Tensor G4 is a slightly less powerful version of Samsung’s Exynos 2400, featuring an eight-core CPU, the latest Arm v9.2 cores, and a 10% performance improvement over the Tensor G3. The phone also boasts 16GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB and 512GB. The Exynos Modem 5400 on the Tensor G4 brings satellite SOS functionality for emergency situations (likely limited to the U.S.), tri-band Wi-Fi 7, 5G, ultra-wideband for locating accessories, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Battery and Charging:
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold packs a 4,650mAh battery, a slight downgrade from the 4,821mAh unit found in the first-gen Pixel Fold. Google claims the battery is designed for 24 hours of usage, but this will likely be impacted by the larger screens and more powerful chipset. The phone supports wired charging, and while Google doesn’t specify the charging rates, it’s expected to be at least 30W. The Fold also supports wireless charging with Qi-compliant chargers but lacks reverse wireless charging.
Camera:
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold retains the 48MP primary camera and 5x telephoto camera (10.8MP) from the previous generation. The ultrawide camera has been swapped out for a smaller sensor with a 10.5MP resolution but a wider field of view of 127 degrees. These cameras are less impressive compared to the Pixel 9 Pro. However, both the inner and outer selfie cameras have been upgraded to 10MP with a wider 87-degree field of view. The cameras support video recording at up to 4K at 60 frames per second, and software enhancements like Astrophotography, Night Sight, Top Shot, Night Sight Video, Super Boost, Cinematic Pan, and Macro Focus Video are included.
Software and Updates:
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with Android 14, a departure from Google’s usual practice of shipping devices with the latest Android version. However, an upgrade to Android 15 is expected soon after the phone’s release. The phone features a range of new AI experiences, including Pixel Screenshots and Gemini AI integration. Google promises seven years of updates for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Overall:
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a compelling upgrade over the first generation, featuring a refined design, powerful performance, and improved displays. While the camera system is slightly less impressive compared to the Pixel 9 Pro, it still packs a punch with all the software enhancements we’ve come to expect from Pixel phones. However, the arrival with Android 14, not the newest version, may disappoint some users.
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