I went hands-on with Google's $1,800 Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and I'm ready to leave Samsung

Last year’s Pixel Fold was a valiant first attempt at a foldable phone by Google, but it wasn’t perfect. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and the OnePlus Open, the Pixel Fold was shorter and wider, which made it a more comfortable phone-to-tablet experience.

That said, it was also much heavier than the competition, which diminished the illusion of it being a compact device. It had the appearance of a passport, but it felt like a bible in your hand.

Also: How to preorder the new Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold (and the best deals)

This year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold fixes the ergonomic issues of the original, and then some. In doing so, Google has also shifted from the boxier, more traditional aspect ratio to a 20:9 scale that’s similar to the OnePlus Open. I personally know some Pixel Fold users who will be disappointed by the change, but based on my hands-on time with the newest model, I think it’s for the better.

Tack on a larger, brighter display (up to 2,700 nits at peak brightness), 16GB of RAM, the company’s latest Tensor G4 chip, and a host of AI features because that’s a requirement for any piece of tech in 2024, and you have a contender for best foldable phone this year.

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Notice that I said “the best foldable phone” and not “best phone overall.” That’s because I’m still struggling to recommend foldable phones, with their hefty price tags, over the more traditional iPhones, Samsung Galaxies, and even Google Pixels.

The good news is that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold — with all of its user-benefitting upgrades this year — doesn’t get a price bump like the rest of the Pixel 9 series. The bad news is that it’s priced the same as its predecessor: starting at $1,799. It’s still expensive. It’s still inaccessible. If you’re considering the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, trade-in offers, carrier promotions, and holiday discounts are your best friend.

Also: Everything announced at Made by Google 2024

Pricing aside, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is looking to be one of the best multitasking and entertainment devices you can buy today. It helps that the internal display now spans a whopping eight inches, making it the largest phone on the market. 

When I tried it, running split screen mode and watching YouTube videos on the Super Actua Flex display was straight eye candy, except for the times when the wall-sized windows at the venue exposed just how glossy and glare-exhibiting these flexible screens are.

I’m sure last year’s Pixel Fold would’ve held up worse in the same environment, as the measly up to 1,450 nits made the phone almost unusable when outdoors. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets much, much brighter, and that’s something every user can appreciate.

Also: Every Google Pixel 9 model compared: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold

The larger screen also plays well with Google’s latest AI features, which include the Pixel Studio image generator, Gemini Live, and Pixel Screenshots. All three are available on the smaller, less expensive Pixel 9 models, too, but having a larger canvas to doodle, prompt, and interact with Google’s AI features feels like the best approach. You can even run split screen mode with Google’s Gemini chatbot and drag-and-drop files for a more collaborative experience. 

Google says the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is “the thinnest foldable you can buy,” which is true if you’re not in a market that includes the likes of Xiaomi and Honor. When unfolded, the phone is about the same thickness as the iPhone 15 Pro, and I had no problem holding it up when taking the photos you see throughout this article. 

Pair the thinness with an IPX8 rating (meaning the phone is water-resistant), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and a new hinge design that I’m told is tighter and better prevents internal components from coming loose, and you have a foldable phone that should be as safe to carry around as a regular handset.

Also: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Four best features that make it the foldable phone to beat

Google had a big opportunity to leapfrog its foldable counterparts in camera performance, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold doesn’t come off as competitive. It fields a similar 48MP main, 10.5MP ultrawide, and 10.8MP telephoto camera array as its predecessor, leaning heavily on the new Tensor G4 chip — and however much backend processing it brings — to carry the photo-taking experience. Compared to the larger, more competent sensors on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, this feels like a disservice to users committing at least $1,799 for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Of course, I’ll have to test the phone for longer and in more conditions to see just how significant (or insignificant) this hardware difference is. Based on tech specs alone, however, I’m not expecting Google’s most expensive phone to have the company’s best camera output.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is available for preorder Tuesday, Aug. 13, in two colors: Porcelain and Obsidian, starting at $1,799 for 256GB of storage.