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The Google Pixel Fold is here to demonstrate that there can be more than one significant player in the market for the best foldable smartphones. The release of Google’s first foldable is eagerly anticipated, especially in light of the fact that Samsung will soon introduce the Galaxy Z Fold 5, its fifth such device.

What makes the Pixel Fold unique and whether the wait was worthwhile? Let’s dissect it.

The Pixel Fold boasts a wide cover display that is simple to use, a thin design that is unmatched in a foldable phone, and, of course, Pixel-grade cameras. But the Pixel Fold is pricey—it costs $1,799. Check out our list of 5 reasons to buy the Pixel Fold and 3 reasons to pass along, as well as everything you need to know, below.

Google Pixel Fold

Specs:

Release Date, Pre-Orders & Price:

Pre-orders for the Google Pixel Fold officially opened on May 10. You can place an order now. In June, the phone will begin shipping. Verizon will be available on June 27. The Pixel Fold costs $1,799 for the 256GB model and $1,919 for the 512GB model.

According to Google, the Pixel Fold will initially be sold in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. All three of the country’s major carriers will offer The Fold. Pre-orders for the Google Pixel come with a free Google Pixel Watch, which has a retail value of $349.

Due to some incredibly generous trade-in bonuses, the Google Store might be the best option to purchase it, at least in the United States.

Design and Durability:

The Pixel Fold opens like a book to reveal a sizable 7.6-inch display, just like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 (and presumably the Z Fold 5). However, Google’s design differs significantly from what Samsung offers.

The Pixel Fold, according to Google, has the thinnest profile of any foldable at just 6.2 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches (158.7 x 139.7 x 5.8 mm) when open. The current Z Fold 4 has dimensions of 15.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm, or 6.11 x 5.12 x 0.25 inches.

The Pixel Fold measures 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 inches when closed, while the Z Fold 4 measures 6.1 x 2.6 x 0.55-0.62 inches. Of course, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 may end up being thinner, but for the time being, Google has the advantage. Not in terms of weight, though; the Pixel Fold is heavier at 10 ounces than Samsung’s existing foldable, which weighs 9.28 ounces.

According to Google, the Pixel Fold has the strongest hinge currently in use. This device’s 180-degree fluid friction hinge increases dust resistance and contributes to its 200,000-fold rating. The Pixel Fold is also IPX8-rated, making it resistant to rain and spills.

This hinge also enables tabletop mode, which lets you use your hands-free for activities like taking pictures, watching videos, or making brief video calls. You’ll find controls on the bottom half and the primary content area on top, much like the Galaxy Z Fold series’ flex mode.

Porcelain and Obsidian are the two colors available for the Pixel Fold. Having more choices would have been nice.

Displays:

The front display of the Pixel Fold is yet another significant way it differs from the Galaxy Fold lineup. When using the device closed, the 5.8-inch OLED cover display’s 17.4:9 aspect ratio (as opposed to Samsung’s 21.6:18) results in a less crowded experience.

This OLED panel is rated up to 1,550 nits of peak brightness and 1,200 nits with HDR content, supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate, and has always-on display functionality.

The larger 7.6-inch display supports up to 1,450 nits of peak brightness and 1,000 nits with HDR content. It also goes up to 120 Hz and has a resolution of 2208 x 1840 pixels.

The inside panel of the Pixel Fold is made of incredibly thin glass with a protective plastic layer, while the front of the device is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.

Cameras:

With Real Tone for more accurate skin tones and Night Sight for amazing low-light photos, the Pixel Fold promises the same high-quality camera experience as other Pixel phones. You get a 48MP rear camera, a 10.8MP ultrawide camera, a 10.8MP telephoto camera, and a 20x Super Res Zoom (digital) camera with a 5x optical zoom.

Additionally, there is an 8MP internal camera for selfies and video calls, as well as a 9.5MP front camera for selfies. When the foldable’s back is open and facing you, you can use the Rear Camera Selfie feature to take 48MP selfies while using the front display as your viewfinder.

One more feature of foldable cameras is a tabletop mode that enables you to prop the Pixel Fold up on a table or shelf and use a palm gesture to quickly take a group photo without the use of a timer. Alternatively, you can use the Fold in tent mode to take pictures of the stars at night.

You can use unique photo features like Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur in the Google Photos app to remove unwanted subjects and sharpen your pictures, just like with the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 7a.

Software and Apps:

The Google Pixel Fold comes pre-installed with Android 13, but later this year it will receive Android 14. However, the Pixel Fold now offers a ton of foldable optimizations.

For instance, the Pixel Fold has a taskbar similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s, which makes it simple to switch between apps. The taskbar is dynamic and vanishes when you aren’t using it. Additionally, the Pixel Fold makes it simple to drag and drop content or files between windows while running two apps simultaneously.

Along with working with a number of outside developers to improve their apps for foldable devices, Google also claims that more than 50 of its own apps have been optimized for large screens. These apps include TikTok, Spotify, and Disney Plus.

After Android 14 is released, things will be even better because the Pixel Fold will come with a really cool live translation feature that makes use of both the front and rear displays as you speak.

Performance:

Because the Pixel Fold uses the same powerful Tensor G2 chip as the Pixel 7 series, performance should be fairly quick. But don’t anticipate it to operate as quickly as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that is most likely going to power the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The Tensor G2 has 12GB of RAM, which is commendable, and when ordering, you can select between 256GB and 512GB of storage.

Battery and Charging:

The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s 4,400 mAh battery is smaller than the 4,727 mAh battery in the Pixel Fold. So, we’re hoping that this foldable phone will have a respectable amount of endurance. Given the size of the 7.6-inch main display, we would not anticipate it to have the same endurance as the phones on our list of the best phone batteries.

The Pixel Fold offers 30W wired charging, the same as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. And Qi wireless charging is supported by the Pixel Fold.

Outlook:

The Pixel Fold appears to be a promising contender in the market for foldable phones. It features the thinnest foldable design yet, a strong and flexible hinge, a front display that appears user-friendly, and a premium camera experience.

It’s also encouraging to see Google pushing developers to optimize their own apps for foldable devices. Although Google is known for undercutting Samsung and other flagships, the $1,799 price makes me pause.

As a result, the Pixel Fold will need to impress customers.

Read more: Oppo Find N3, OnePlus Fold Specs Leaked