I ’ve been using the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold for a few weeks now and am dead in love with it . I in all likelihood should rally you more about my overall judgment , but when a phone isthisgood , it seems artful to hide the fact .

Of naturally , it ’s not perfect , but crucially , it manages to master one of the giving hurdling regarding live with a big folding phone daily . What is it ? Well , for that , you ’ll just have to read on to chance out .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: design

Whathashappened at Google HQ ? This twelvemonth , it has altogether nail how to make a fantastic smartphone . ThePixel 9andPixel 9 Proare not only honorable - looking , but also beautifully made , and it ’s mostly the same account with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold . The satin aluminum build is nerveless to the touch and like an expert rounded , while the wholly mute hinge has a analog , absolutely dampened motion . It feels so well put together that you ’d think Google had made pen up earphone for decades .

The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rear control board has a matte finish and a subtle grain , differentiating it from the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 over the screen on the front . The television camera module is perhaps the only slight misstep in the design , as it ’s not as unequaled or characterful as the Pixel 9 serial publication ’ bowl - shaped module or the visor design used for thePixel 8series . It ’s also pretty thick and detracts from the otherwise slim 10.5 mm closed phone .

This is a huge deal . At 10.5 mm , the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is several millimeters thinner than theSamsung Galaxy zed Fold 6andOnePlus Openand not much thickheaded than theHonor Magic V3 . During the time I ’ve expend with the 9 Pro plication so far , it has not feel much dissimilar from using myiPhone 15 Pro Maxin its case . If you ’ve been hold back for a folding telephone set that ’s ergonomically extremely similarto a great , non - foldable phone , this is it .

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The Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels so well put together .

While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has defeat this long - standing folding phone problem , it is still a expectant phone at 257 grams , which constitute it more portly than its competition and very noticeable in your pocket . Put it in a case and it only gets heavier , but I ’ve been using it without and relying on the build and IPX8 water resistance to keep it safe .

The other jarring design aspect is the decision to curve the glass on the front and back at each nook but not the metal form . It looks a bit strange and , pair with the covering screen ’s thick bezel , make the sound look prominent than it actually is .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 2x zoom camera.

2x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

However , I ’ll take a gawky aim decision and a few grams over what would be anideal weight unit when the rest of the physique and the overall engine room are otherwise spot - on . Google has set the bar mellow for smartphone design and grammatical construction with the Pixel 9 series , and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold comprehensively eclipse the old Pixel Fold ’s design and build . It is a genuinely toothsome piece of ironware .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: screens

On the exterior of the closed in Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a 6.3 - inch OLED Actua Display with a 2424 x 1080 pixel resolving power , a 60Hz to 120Hz refresh charge per unit , and a 1,800 nits of brightness . start the phone up , and you get an 8 - column inch Super Actua OLED silver screen with a 2152 x 2076 pixel resolution , a 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate , and a 1,600 - nit brightness .

The open screen is the reason you should bribe the Pixel 9 Pro Fold . It ’s bright , needlelike , colourful , and fantastic for playing game , watch telecasting , or browsing apps and the cyberspace without separate out your eyes . The Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s 5.1 mm heaviness , when unfolded , makes it really easy to hold , and because the balance is so well - judged , it never becomes fatiguing . I ’ve drop far too long browse Reddit , trying to choose a watch on Watchfinder ’s site through Chrome , and scroll through Threads . Instagram still take care pretty poor , but otherwise , I bump compatibility with the opened projection screen to be satisfactory .

I ’ve been playingAir Attack 2,which not only front great , but is much easier to bet on the declamatory open concealment , as there ’s more space around your fingerbreadth as you point the plane around . I do n’t notice the crinkle when the screen is unfastened and a video is playing unless I ’m viewing it at an angle , but you do feel it with your finger’s breadth when playing games . I do n’t retrieve it a job , though . The Tensor G4 fleck does not cause the speech sound to get live in my experience , and I have not point out any slowdown when meet game or when using the package .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Multimedia is where the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s metier lie in , and while you’re able to draw two apps side by side on the open screen , you ca n’t add a third floating window . And the cognitive process for opening apps is more convoluted and less true than on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 , for example . There ’s no consecrated taskbar either , only the usual Android app toolbar , which has fewer options and slow up affair down when swap between multiple apps . I ’d choose the Galaxy Z Fold 6 for work - related multitasking , but I love the Pixel 9 Pro Fold for video , photo editing , and general entertainment .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: camera

The tv camera on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is uncanny , at least when you liken its specs with other Pixel 9 cameras and then take the price into consideration . It has a 48 - megapixel primary camera , a 10.5MP ultrawide camera , and a 10.8MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical rapid growth and a maximum 20x Super Res Zoom . It has visual and electronic image stabilisation ( OIS and EIS ) on both the primary and ultrawide cameras , plus optical maser autofocus and a phantasmal sensor for color truth .

Despite the Pro name , it has a lesser specification than the Pixel 9 Pro and is also different from the Pixel 9 . It has more in unwashed with the premature - generation Pixel phones on newspaper , and that ’s not a good look when Google expects you to give twice the price of a Pixel 9 for it . But numeral do n’t always tell the whole story , and the full news is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s camera still takes great picture .

I wrote anentire feature of speech on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s camera , which I used to go auto spot in Berlin and put its 5x telephoto tv camera through its paces . It takes shrill , clean , and coloured photos with pot of detail , even when you prune down . What I like the most is the colouring and dividing line equalizer , which carries over to the primary and ultrawide cameras . The results are consistent between all three cameras ; it rarely fails to give photos a beautiful and natural tone , but it never oversaturates . In low light , it still bring out color , even in the shadower . There ’s even an effective ( if a bit fiddly to aerate ) macro manner to get close to subjects .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s wide-angle camera.

Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

The numbers do n’t do the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s photographic camera justice . It takes excellent photos in almost any situation without any ado . Plus , there are all the tremendous redaction features available in Google Photos , and they ’re even more hefty than ever . Like the earphone itself , the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s camera is an first-class all - rounder .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: software and AI

Android 14 is instal on the Pixel 9 Pro congregation , and it ’ll get seven year of primary OS and security update , which means Android 15 will number as one of them when it ’s released . However , before you get too up in arms about it , regard whether you ’ll still own the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in six days ’ time . Google ’s Tensor G4 and 16 GB of RAM provide the behind - the - scenes ability .

Google is n’t using Android , the television camera , the fold up screenland , or handy features like the disunited Gboard keyboard that makes typing on the open screen so simple to sell the Pixel 9 phone : It ’s usingGoogle Gemini AI . Just like other Pixel 9 series phones , the Gemini AI platform take the place of Google Assistant here . Like other AI systems , it can help design events , teach you about different subjects , translate text , summarize emails and substance , generate images , and perform a host of other somewhat helpful tasks . The Pixel 9 Pro Fold come with one year of free admittance toGemini Advanced , like theother Pixel 9 Pro earphone .

What ’s it like ? I ’m so conditioned to using a school text - based Google Search enquiry that I have to force myself to use Gemini Advanced . I’m weigh take off to playMagic : The Gathering Arena , and I want to get an idea of how it compares to my days of play the physical card secret plan . I asked Gemini Advanced for advice , and the conversation course well . There was no motive for continued elucidation of the subject , and I felt it answer my interrogation in a acceptable manner .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s wide-angle camera.

Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

It was surely faster than me doing a text - based hunting , and Gemini ’s response were instant . Otherwise , the functionality is quite niche , and you may not utilise it all that often . My life is n’t so hectic that I call for Gemini to help oneself plan thing , for good example , and features like generating images are plaything I ca n’t think I ’d use apart from trying it out .

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s software has been immaculate .

Compared to using basic Gemini on the Pixel 9 ,   it ’s a far more feature - full-bodied experience . If you have already seen where Gemini Advanced will save you clip , it ’s worth experimenting with if you buy the Pixel 9 Pro Fold . You ’ll chop-chop learn whether it ’ll be worth the $ 20 per month to continue with it after a year . However , Gemini works on many other modern Android telephone , so you do n’t have to buy a Pixel to use it . It ’s also definitelynota grounds to buy a Pixel 9 telephone .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Still , Android itself remains brilliant on Google ’s phones , with a playfulness , clean , customizable excogitation , plus very quiet and antiphonal performance . The Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s computer software has been faultless for me and is a genuine vantage over other Android phones , while Gemini is capable and dainty to have , but not all-important at all .

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: battery and charging

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 4,650mAh battery inside that is recharged using a USB - speed of light cable or Qi wireless charging . You do not get a charging block in the box , but the phone support up to 45 - watt wired recharging . During my function , the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s battery lasts , on average , for two day without playing games . However , when you add gaming to the intermixture , it ’s unconvincing to make it deep into the second daytime .

Expect between three - and - a - one-half to five hours of screen sentence from a individual charge . Given the multitasking and productivity voltage of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold , this may not be passable for power substance abuser . Watch a 30 - hour , 2160p YouTube video at full brightness , and the battery depletes by 6 % , and a 30 - min session ofAir Attack 2uses up about the same amount . Keep the brightness on auto , and battery life does meliorate , but I ’ve found the ambient light-colored sensing element is quite aggressive , resulting in me manually increase the brightness fairly often .

When it arrive to lodge , the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is dissatisfactory . I used anAnker Prime chargerwith a compatible USB - C cable , and it carry 90 second to recharge the 9 Pro Fold ’s battery . This is twice the amount of time it take to recharge the OnePlus Open ’s electric battery using its proprietary 67W charger . Overall , the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s shelling life and recharging match that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and areaverage rather than salient .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 5x zoom camera.

5x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: price and availability

Take a deep breath because this is an expensive phone . The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold toll $ 1,799 or 1,749 British pounds , and you only get 256 GB of entrepot blank . you may now purchase it through Google ’s online store and other retail store .

Big - screen folding smartphones are all expensive , and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold toll basically the same as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 , theOnePlus Open Apex Edition , and the Honor Magic V3 . Only theTecno Phantom volt Fold 2costs less , and there ’s a rationality for it — it ’s a midrange phone , not a flagship .

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold ’s biggest problem is that non - folding flagship cost a lot less . you could save at least $ 500 by buying theGoogle Pixel 9 Pro XL , theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra , or theiPhone 16 Pro Max . No , they wo n’t fold up , but they will do everything else really well , if not good , than the 9 Pro Fold . You should think carefully before spending so much on Google ’s close phone , regardless of how good it is .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Mercedes-AMG GT. Main cameraAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: verdict

I ’m in love life with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold . Closed , it ’s as near asI need   to a “ normal ” phone ’s form and dimension , and opened up , it ’s a video and amusement human dynamo . The body-build quality and plan are brilliant , far well than any previous Pixel earphone , and it feels substantive in your hand . It ’s an expensive smartphone , but importantly , it also attend and feel like one .

I ’m in love with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold .

The software is a delectation to use . The camera is various , fun , and takes enceinte photos in almost all situations — plus , there ’s a riches of editing tools that are a joy to take on with on the open screen . I ’ve mostly forgotten that it ’s a big - concealment shut down smartphone , by which I mean it has overcome many of the ergonomic outlet that earlier role model suffered from . It ’s more play than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 , but it ’s notquiteas wondrous well - rounded as Samsung ’s phone , which is better for multitasking and study . I ’m also a devotee of the Z Fold 6 ’s slender cover screen , which makes the phone easy and more compendious , plus I have more faith in its recollective - condition strength due to the dust resistivity and special Armor Aluminum construction .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Over the last weeks , I ’ve gone from using the Google Pixel 9 to the Pixel 9 Pro to , finally , the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold . I ’ve definitely saved the best for last , and it ’s the one I ’d keep my SIM placard in long - terminal figure if I had that choice . The cost is the obvious issue , as although I ’m raving about this sound , $ 1,800 is an abhorrent amount to spend on a smartphone . However , if you could stomach it and plan to keep your newfangled earpiece for several class to eke out as much value from it as potential , there is n’t another actual rationality not to get one .

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster. 5x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 5x zoom camera.

5x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s main camera in macro mode.

MacroAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 20x Super Res Zoom.

20x Super Res ZoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 5x zoom camera.

5x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

A photo taken with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Mercedes-Benz AMG G63. Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends