Google does almost everything right with its second folding smartphone. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has, among other things, two great displays, strong cameras, is slim and quite durable. Added to that are entertaining AI capabilities and seven years of Android updates.
Google's first folding smartphone wasn't bad, but compared to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5, it seemed a bit old-fashioned and not quite fully developed. That's a completely different story with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which has improved significantly and is now not only competitive, but also top in some areas.
Slimmer design
When folded, it is barely thicker than a normal smartphone.
(Photo: kwe)
Google has changed almost everything. At 257 grams, the device is almost 25 grams lighter, but still more compact than its predecessor. When folded, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is as handy as a normal smartphone at 155.2 x 150.2 x 10.5 millimeters. This impression is reinforced by the new, now 6.24-inch external display in 20:9 format. If you want, you never have to open the device without having to accept restrictions.
The OLED screen itself is very sharp with a pixel density of 422 pixels per inch (ppi) and is bright enough to be easily readable in sunlight. Contrasts and colors are great, and a refresh rate of 60 to 120 Hertz (Hz) guarantees a smooth display.
Larger displays
The external display alone is around 6.2 inches.
(Photo: kwe)
You'll have an aha moment when you open the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Because now you're looking at an 8-inch, flexible OLED display that can shine almost twice as brightly as its predecessor. At 373 ppi, it's more than sharp enough and offers excellent contrast and colors. With a refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz, it's even more adaptable than the external display.
The inner screen also has a uniformly wide border that is much narrower than before. That's why the selfie camera now looks through a hole in the display. This makes the new folding smartphone look more modern than the first Pixel Fold.
The edge around the inner screen has become significantly thinner.
(Photo: kwe)
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels fantastic in the hand when opened, as the device is just 5.1 millimeters thick. There is just enough space in the slim frame for the buttons, and the power button shines with an extremely sharp and precise integrated fingerprint sensor.
Visible hollow, high-quality hinge
The great impression is only marred by a clearly noticeable and visible, deep hollow along the longitudinal axis. The brain quickly blocks it out, but the fold is flatter on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6, among others. It's also a shame that, despite the larger display, you can still only display two apps in the split screen.
Main camera, …
(Photo: kwe)
Google has done an excellent job with the hinge itself, perhaps the most important component of a folding smartphone. The resistance when opening and closing is just right and when folded, a magnet holds the two halves together without a gap. However, dust or other fine particles can still get in. That's why the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is only waterproof to IPX8.
Good endurance, very good cameras
Although the folder is so thin, it lasts quite a long time. In practical tests, one charge of the 4650 milliampere hour (mAh) battery was easily enough for a day if the device was not used unfolded too often. If you use the internal display a lot, you may run out of battery power in the evenings, but you can usually still get through the day.
… 20x magnification.
(Photo: kwe)
Another highlight is the split camera unit on the back. With a main camera that has a resolution of up to 48 megapixels (MP), a 10.5 MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 10.8 MP telephoto camera with five times optical magnification, the Fold is not quite as well equipped as the other two Pixel 9 Pro devices. The quality of the photos and videos is only slightly weaker, however, and Google's new foldable device leaves the Galaxy Z Fold 6, among others, far behind.
Entertaining AI tricks
The inner workings of the Fold with Google's new Tensor G4 chip, 16 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 256 or 512 GB of flash memory are also absolutely pro. Accordingly, the device has mastered new AI tricks. As with the other 9 Pixels in Germany, their scope is still limited, but compared to the new iPhones they have a lot to offer.
AI tricks include group photos in which photographers can be added later. It is also great fun to select individual elements and have them changed using text instructions (prompts). It shouldn't be too complicated, but the AI can easily replace a remote control with a wooden ruler, for example.
Conclusion
Google has taken a big step with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Although the company was late in launching the first folding smartphone last year, it has already reached the top with the second generation, which is a worthy competitor to Samsung's market leader, the Galaxy Z Fold 6. With prices ranging from around 1900 to 2030 euros, Google's new foldable device is not cheap either, but with seven guaranteed years of Android updates, you can enjoy it for a long time.
