How Google folders stack up

• Pixel 9 Pro Fold

  A more refined offering

  Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold aims to solve the main problems of the Pixel Fold thanks to its thin and light design, Tensor G4 chip and more fluid hinge.

  Benefits

  • Improved hinge
  • Better build quality overall
  • A subtle look

  Evil

  • It is still an expensive smartphone
  • There is still a visible crease
  • It doesn’t have the same camera setup as the Pixel 9 Pro

• 

  Pixel Fold

  The first foldable Google

  Google’s first foldable is a solid device hampered by software issues and minor build quality complaints.

  Benefits

  • A good first fold
  • The cover display is a large size
  • Good camera effects

  Evil

  • Software and build quality are lacking
  • It’s expensive
  • Average battery life

In its Made by Google hardware keynote, the eponymous tech giant revealed its second-generation stab at the foldable phone market, which it calls the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This new device replaces last year’s Pixel Fold, and is now available for pre-order for an eye-watering $1,700.

Google’s new portable tablet isn’t officially marketed as the Pixel Fold 2, but it’s a direct successor. With that in mind, let’s compare both generations of Google folders, and see where the company has made changes this year.

Pricing, specifications, and availability

All the basics

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is priced at $1799, and is expected to ship in September 2024. It comes with the new Tensor G4 processor and 16GB of RAM. The original Pixel Fold, by contrast, was launched in May 2023, and uses an older Tensor G2 chip and 12GB of RAM.

Both foldables are launched at the same price point, and offer 256GB of storage in the base configuration. IPX8 water resistance, ultra-wideband (UWB), and NFC are present in both models, but only the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with iPhone-esque Satellite SOS support.

• 	Pixel 9 Pro Fold	Google Pixel Fold
  Brand	Google	Google
  SoC	Tensor G4, Titan M2 security processor	Google Tensor G2
  Show it	Internal screen – 2076 x 2152 pixel resolution OLED at (373 PPI), external display – 1080 x 2424 pixel resolution OLED (422 PPI), 1800 nits (HDR), 2700 nits (high brightness)	5.8-inch, OLED, 2092 x 1080, 120Hz (cover) / 6.7-inch OLED, UTG, 2208 x 1840, 120Hz (main)
  Battery	4650 mAh	4821mAh, 30W fast charging, Wireless charging
  Operating system	Android 14	Android
  Front camera	10-megapixel f/2.2, 10-megapixel internal camera	9.5MP, f/2.2 (cover) / 8MP, f/2.0 (main)
  Rear camera	48-megapixel f/1.7 wide, 10.5-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 10.8-megapixel f/3.1 telephoto	48MP f/1.7 main, 10.8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 10.8MP f/3.05 telephoto
  Size	Folded – 155.2 height x 77.1 width x 10.5-inch depth, Unfolded – 6.1 height x 5.9 width x 0.2-inch depth	139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm (folded), 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8mm (unfolded), 283g
  Colors	Obsidian, procelain	Obsidian, Porcelain
  Weight	9.1oz (257g)	it is 283g

Design and build

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s hardware makes the original Pixel Fold look like a beta release

As a book-style folding phone within the wider Pixel 9 lineup, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks and feels like a piece of tea. The standard Pixel design language has not changed here, and the device is almost identical to the original Pixel Fold for the most part.

Like other new Pixel 9 handsets, the focus is on angularity and a sharper build than we’ve seen in the past. The camera array remains distinctly ‘Pixel’ in appearance, but the lenses are now split into two distinct sections that are more rectangular than the usual bar shape.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is launched in Obsidian and Porcelain colors, similar to the first generation Pixel Fold. Unfortunately, more vibrant Pixel colors like Bay Blue or Coral Pink are not available at this time.

Show it

Google’s new foldable is much brighter than the previous generation

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s internal and external displays are identical to those of the original Pixel Fold from a technical standpoint. The internal OLED screen comes with a resolution of 2076 x 2152 pixels, the external OLED comes in at 1080 x 2424 pixels. These are slightly different panel resolutions than the outgoing model, with an internal display of 1840 x 2208 and a cover display of 1080 x 2092. Overall, the pixel density is almost comparable on both devices.

Google quotes a maximum of 2700 nits of brightness for the main display, up from a peak of 1450 nits in the outgoing model. This will be a very impressive change when you look at both displays side by side.

Without even turning on the display, however, the biggest change that is immediately noticeable is the dramatic reduction in the size of the display bezel. The Pixel Fold has larger bezels compared to other foldables on the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, so these new minis are a big step forward in both aesthetics and screen-to-body ratio.

Internal

Google’s new Tensor G4 processor was introduced with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

For $1,799, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold also ships with 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and the new Google Tensor G4 chip that it shares with the other new Pixel 9 phones. As mentioned, last year’s Pixel Fold runs on the older Tensor G2 paired with 12GB of RAM.

We’ll have to test the G4 in the real world, as well as using simulated benchmarks, to get a better idea of ​​how much it performs compared to last year’s chip. Unfortunately, from a hardware standpoint, it doesn’t look like Google’s processor will be completely competitive with strong competition from both Qualcomm and Apple.

Cameras

Even with ‘Pro’ in its name, the camera hardware remains a step down from the company’s slab phone offerings

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is equipped with a triple rear camera setup, just like the original Pixel Fold. Specifically, we get a 48-megapixel wide, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, and 10.8-megapixel telephoto setup here, closely matching the camera hardware featured on last year’s model.

As with the original Pixel Fold, it’s still disappointing that Google isn’t putting high-end camera hardware in the package, instead reserving it for the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro phones. Internal space constraints may be to blame here, but considering the asking price, it’s still less than ideal.

Verdict: Is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold a worthy successor to last year’s Pixel Fold?

Value proposition

With a starting price of $1,799, Google’s new Pixel 9 Pro Fold isn’t cheap at all. Thankfully, the price hasn’t gone up compared to last year’s Pixel Fold, but it hasn’t gone down at all either.

For foldable Android phones to really take off, it’s pretty clear that prices need to come down by a good margin. Since this is the second generation of Google’s Fold, the company seems to be emphasizing the polish and quality of life improvements that were missing from the original Pixel Fold release.

Hopefully, once Google starts doing something amazing in the foldable market segment, we’ll see the prices slowly drop. For now, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks to be a solid improvement over the Pixel Fold, evoking a sense of physical improvement over the company’s previous offering.