There are now – finally – two proper options for big folding phones available in Australia: the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. Having now played with both of them back to back, the different approaches the two companies have are fascinating.
For Samsung, the Z Fold range is its own thing, optimised for folding and the usage the company imagines a device like that would command. The best of what Samsung can do in a phone is the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the Fold has decent specs while balancing cost, performance, and actual use cases.
Google, however, has clearly stated that they see the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as being a Pixel 9 Pro that can fold. That should mean that it’s easier to directly compare to the $1,699 Pixel 9 Pro, to see whether it’s worth the extra $1,000 to be able to fold. But the specs on the Fold most often land somewhere between the Pro and regular Pixel 9, and in other cases fall well short.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review
First impressions
If you’ve ever set up a Google Pixel phone before, you’ll know how smooth the experience is. Google sure does know how to make a frictionless setup experience.
Out of the box, I was struck by how thin and light the phone was, while still feeling comfortable to hold. The company seems to have really benefitted from seeing the mistakes and iterations Samsung has made over the last six years and managed to avoid their pitfalls (while falling into some of their own).
On this year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, I called out how the crease is less visible than in previous years. Conversely, the crease is significantly more noticeable on this Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It’s not a deal breaker, but it is an interesting choice.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold specs and price
| Camera | 8 MP wide 10.5 MP Ultrawide with Macro Focus 10.8 MP 5x telephoto lens Super Res Zoom up to 20x and optical quality at 0.5x, 1x, 5x |
| Dimensions | Height: 155.2 mm Width: 77.1 mm (folded) / 150.2 mm (unfolded) Depth: 10.5 mm (folded) / 5.1 mm (unfolded) 257 grams |
| Display | External: Full-screen 160 mm Actua display Internal: 204 mm Super Actua Flex display |
| Battery life | 24+ hours Up to 72-hour battery life with Extreme Battery Saver |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB / 512 GB |
| Processor | Google Tensor G4 Titan M2 security co-processor |
| Video | 4K video recording at 24/30/60 FPS 1080p video recording at 24/30/60 FPS Digital video zoom up to 20x |
| Price (RRP) | From $2,699 |
| Warranty | Two years |
| Official website | Google Australia |
On paper, the specs of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold seem a bit underwhelming. However, this phone is more than the sum of its parts. At some point “number go higher” isn’t as meaningful on megapixel-related camera specs.
It is still worth noting, though, that the camera and battery specs of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are largely less impressive than the $1,349 base model Pixel 9. That’s not great. Having a smaller battery is particularly egregious. On the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, I mostly got all-day battery life, but I really would have appreciated a bit more. It should be noted, however, that it does have a larger battery than the Samsung Z Fold 6’s.
It’s also got more RAM than Samsung’s foldable (16GB vs 12GB), slower charging, and fewer megapixels.
Impressively, though, you’ll get seven years of OS and security updates from both phones, so you could theoretically hold onto one until 2031 as long as you don’t drop it.
Performance
A lot of the Google Pixel features this year are AI-based, and the same across the whole phone range. You can read more about them in Chris Button’s excellent review of the Pixel 9 Pro (Editor’s note: flattery will get you everywhere).
As for how it fares with benchmarking apps, Google’s foldable doesn’t match the raw power of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6.
| Device | CPU single-core | CPU multi-core |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | 2,328 | 7,231 |
| Motorola Razr 50 Ultra | 1,947 | 4,918 |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro XL | 1,961 | 4,736 |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold | 1,949 | 4,698 |
From those numbers, you can see that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is beefy and powerful, but not the most powerful phone on the market. For $2,699, I would have wanted a little more oomph, but at the same time, most people wouldn’t notice the extra grunt, but will absolutely appreciate the likely slight battery life savings. So it balances out.
Gaming
Normally I find folding phones a bit unwieldy for proper gaming. They’re fine for mobile games, but once you try to play something a bit beefier, the bigger screen just makes it more awkward to hold.
I didn’t find that to be the case with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (which, by the way, is a very clunky name). The screen was so responsive, and it was comfortable in the hand. The aspect ratios haven’t worked at all for Fortnite mobile, however. But Fall Guys looks and works so well on the large inner screen. I never would have thought that game would work with on-screen controls, and it doesn’t really on a standard candy bar phone, but it’s almost made for folding phones.
If the game is appropriately optimised for a folding screen, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the perfect phone for gaming.
Taking a look at game-specific benchmarking, Google’s Fold isn’t the most powerful on the market. It’s enough for playing most games comfortably, though.
| Device | Wild Life Extreme benchmark |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | 4,900 |
| Motorola Razr 50 Ultra | 2,946 |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold | 2,609 |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro XL | 2,572 |
General use
For general use, I had a really good time as well. Typing on both screens is really comfortable and natural. I was wary of the thinner front screen potentially making it complicated, and in the past, I’ve had trouble getting the hang of typing on the expanded screen on Samsung Folds, but the setup here is perfect for my hands.
I type faster on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold than I do on my other primary phones (the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra). To have that level of comfort with a new screen size in just a couple of days bodes really well.
Aside from that, the screen is so bright and responsive. In bright sunlight, I think the screen could have been brighter to make up for it, so summer will be interesting. But for regular use, it’s enough. The speakers are okay, as far as phone speakers go, and it feels good in the hand.
It’s everything you would expect of a folding phone. I still wish the aspect ratios were more standard so more apps properly took advantage of the screen real estate, but we’re only five years into this folding phone caper. There’s time.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold camera
Let’s be real, this is the main thing most people care about. Sure, phones run apps and do AI stuff and play games, but all phones with a decent enough processor can do those things. The camera is the main point of difference.
As mentioned in the specs section, the specs of these cameras lag behind the rest of the Pixel 9 range, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 range. If having the best smartphone cameras is what’s most important to you, then you don’t want a folding phone, you want one of the flagships.
But that’s not to say that these cameras aren’t excellent. I’m not going to get into the AI features here, because they’ve been covered before in Chris’ review of the Pixel 9 Pro. So let’s just look at the cameras in isolation.
I’ve said before that I don’t like how much Samsung seems to smooth out any “imperfections” on people’s faces, but that I also think the iPhone camera is too harsh. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold cameras hit a nice middle ground. You can see on this selfie I took with the front-facing camera on the front screen that there is clearly some smoothing on my tired, tired face, but not to the point where there’s been a filter, it’s more that it pretends that I’m in more favourable lighting than I really am.
The older I get, the more I appreciate that. Compare that to the iPhone 15 Pro Max selfie camera, where you can see that some of my dye job is fading faster than the rest, and that I’m parenting a newborn and surviving 24-hour roadworks outside my apartment. The iPhone shows the reality, while the Pixel is a little kinder.
Then you have these portrait photos of this focaccia. The Pixel photo just looks so much more delicious than the iPhone photo.
However, I prefer this iPhone photo of the State Library because I like the colour profile better, your preference may vary.
Another feature I really like is one that could only happen on a folding phone – Made You Look. Made You Look puts a little animation on the front screen to try and get the attention of the baby, child, or pet you’re taking a photo of. While it doesn’t yet elicit smiles out of my 12-week-old because she’s too confused by what a screen is (she still isn’t aware she has feet), I can see how it would be a game changer for older children.
All up, while these cameras aren’t the best you can get on a smartphone, they’re more than good enough for the vast majority of users who aren’t planning on printing huge copies of their phone photography.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
This is the part that really matters. Should you get a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold or a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6? I can’t answer that question for you. But I can say that I find the Pixel easier to hold and type on, and the hinge is more forgiving when new. That said, the crease is much less obvious on the Samsung, the cameras are a bit better, and the Samsung feels much more premium.
It’s also going to come down to which accessories you want to use with the phone, and which approach to AI and Android you prefer. I really like the more untouched and straightforward OS on the Pixel, but I prefer the AI approach of Samsung. I also think Samsung is a little better at privacy than Google. That said, they’re pretty similar.
I will say that my wife who isn’t a phone nerd, but has spent time with all these phones, picked up the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and immediately loved it, whereas she hasn’t been sold on other folding phones in the past. The thinner, sleeker Pixel is a bit more user-friendly than the beefier Samsung model.
Who is the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold for?
Who is any folding phone for? Power phone users who want to try something a bit different and have the budget to be an early adopter. There still isn’t a solid use case for folding phones yet beyond multitasking. The specs on non-folding phones are better and they’re cheaper.
But folding phones are exciting, they’re something new, and there are so many different ways to take advantage of them. Personally, I love this phone. If you’re a Pixel user, or Pixel curious, and you’re interested in a folding phone, this is the one to buy.
GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.
The post Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review: A fancy and good foldable phone appeared first on GadgetGuy.
0 (mga) komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento