Pixel 9 Pro Fold Is a Little Thinner and a Little Bigger, but Still Expensive
Foldable phones are a tempting idea, but they’re not yet widely used. Durability issues, prices well over $1,600, and the idea that you’re getting something different and unproven means they still feel like a gamble. For its second foldable phone, announced today and previewed behind closed doors, Google’s unusual new strategy is… a new name.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold replaces the Pixel Fold, presenting itself more as another version of the Pixel 9 Pro (also announced today) than as a separate product line. To some extent this makes sense – the phones share the same processor and memory – but much of the rest of the experience is completely different.
Large screens
Compared to other Pixel 9 Pro phones, the 9 Pro Fold is both worse and better than other options. The external screen measures 6.3 inches and has a resolution and brightness more similar to the base Pixel 9 than the other Pro models, but you only use it when the phone is closed.
Opening the 9 Pro Fold reveals a luxurious 8-inch mini tablet, this time with a higher resolution than any other Pixel 9 model. Brightness is still lower than other options, even the external screen or the base Pixel 9. but there’s no denying the extra screen real estate.
That goes double when you consider last year’s Pixel Fold specs, which featured a 5.8-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch inner screen, with lower resolution and brightness across the board.
How’s the hinge?
The original Pixel Fold was marred by news of broken internal screens shortly after launch, meaning this year’s phone has come under scrutiny.
While I can’t speak to its durability, I can say that I found it easy to operate when I used my hands, although it’s best to open and close it with two hands. It certainly feels sturdy and actually snaps a little, but time will tell if that’s actually the case.
I can confidently say how invisible the crease was. Earlier foldable phones suffered from a noticeable crease in the middle, which I had a hard time pointing out on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Even from an angle, it looked more like a real tablet than a Nintendo DS, if you get my drift, which should make working on a big screen much less distracting.
How thick is he?
What remained distracting was the thickness of the phone in my pocket, which is completely unavoidable with flip devices. Google claims it’s barely thicker than the non-folding Pixel 9 Pro, but in practice it felt much bulkier.
I can’t say exactly why. On paper, the Pixel 9 Pro is 0.3 inches thick, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 0.4 inches thick when folded (and is actually a bit thinner at 0.2 inches when unfolded). In practice, it’s like a giant candy bar sitting next to a credit card.
Perhaps the difference was that some demo units had cases and some did not. Maybe I’m just having a “Princess and the Pea” moment with those extra 0.1 inches. It’s certainly manageable, but it still doesn’t feel portable enough. Either way, it’s an improvement since last year’s Pixel 9 Fold was 0.5 inches thick when folded (and the same 0.2 inches when unfolded).
How is it better than the Pixel 9 Pro?
By calling it the Pixel 9 Pro Fold instead of the Pixel Fold 2, Google is offering a clear comparison with the other Pixel 9 Pro models, indicating that the Pixel Fold is ready to play with the big boys. So what will this bring to the field? Same thing the Pixel Fold did – extra screen real estate.
Its 8-inch screen is the “largest display on a phone,” Google says, and for now, that’s pretty true . However, it can display up to four apps simultaneously and supports YouTube multi-view for four live streams at the same time. Some games like Asphalt 6 and Disney Speedstorm also take full advantage of the 9 Pro Fold’s screen for extra space, as do some Pixel-exclusive apps like the new Pixel Studio AI imaging suite.
But there are also some neat tricks you can do with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold thanks to the combination of an external and internal screen. For example, there’s a new “Made You Look” mode that displays animated characters on the external screen while the image is being captured, which should help kids look into the rear camera lens.
You can also partially unfold the phone to prop it up like a book or laptop, which can be useful if you’re viewing content hands-free, although the bump of the camera makes the latter a bit difficult. The stand would be a great addition to Google’s next foldable device.
Why is it worse than the regular Pixel 9 Pro?
Having extra screen space when you need it is great, but it does introduce some compromises to the unfolded experience.
Aside from the aforementioned bump in resolution and brightness, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s cameras are perhaps the weakest in the Pixel 9 lineup. It still boasts a 48MP main camera, but its ultra-wide camera is a lower 10.5MP than even the base Pixel 9. It has a telephoto lens that the base Pixel 9 doesn’t have, but at 10.8 MP it’s much weaker than the Pixel 9 Pro’s telephoto lens.
Its selfie and internal cameras are also the weakest of the bunch, at 10MP versus 10.5MP on the base Pixel 9 and 42MP on the other Pixel 9 Pros. All of this will likely save on thickness, but don’t buy this phone if photo accuracy is important to you.
Battery life is also down slightly, with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offering less battery life than any other Pixel 9 despite the larger screen. It’s a shame, because its tablet-like qualities make it better suited for long-session, sedentary apps that drain the battery the most.
There’s also some complexity in that most apps don’t yet expect users to have a foldable phone. While the Google-created experience will work fine no matter what mode you’re in, there will be large black bars on either side of them when using certain apps in their expanded form. You may have more screen space, but whether you can actually use it depends on each case. TikTok only recently added support for foldable devices .
Oh, and there are fewer color options, since the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is only available in black and white.
How to buy Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Of course, there’s more to consider when purchasing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold versus the standard Pixel 9 Pro, but if you’re ready to take the plunge, pre-orders are available now for a whopping $1,799 (with the phone shipping on September 4). . Yes, Google still hasn’t found a way to reduce this price.
In addition to its phones, Google also today announced updates to the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro, which you can read about here .