More news about Google’s next foldable phone is trickling in, and it’s starting to paint a clear picture of how this phone is going to perform. Some of the information we’ve gotten is the sort of camera technology this phone will have, and Pixel camera fans are not happy. The thing is that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold won’t quite have the best camera tech on the market. In fact, it’s pretty bad.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold camera tech
Let’s start off with the specs. Since we’re still technically dealing with leaked information, you’ll still want to take this news cautiously. The next Pixel event is happening on August 13th, so we’ll get all of the official information then.
However, based on the most recent information, it looks like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will have a 48MP main camera accompanied by a 10.5MP ultrawide and a 10.8MP telephoto camera. Those are some pretty wimpy numbers, especially for the latter two sensors.
That’s pretty bad
We’ve been seeing a trend of foldable phones not coming with the best camera tech. The thing is that foldable phone technology has been improving in several ways ever since the first Galaxy Z Fold, but the camera tech has always underperformed.
We understand that foldable phones need to slim down, so companies can’t use larger sensors, but is that really the case? The Vivo X Fold3 Pro (Review) has a 50MP main camera with a 64MP telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide camera. Sure, the camera package is a little big, but the camera hump on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold isn’t exactly paper-thin. We’re sure that Google could have used some better camera tech in its phone.
Before Google was the “AI Phone” company, it was the “Really freaking amazing camera” company. Each year, its phones would win the crown as the camera king. The Pixel Fold had good cameras, but they weren’t anything to write home about.
It’s a matter of price
What makes this whole situation worse is the fact that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks like it will cost around $2,000. The price of book-style foldables has been coming down slightly over the years, and they’ve started to flirt with the $1,500 price. We haven’t seen a standard consumer-targeted foldable start at $2,000 in a while.
That’s pretty sad considering the fact that the Pixel 9 Pro XL could come with a 50MP main, 48MP telephoto, and 48MP ultrawide camera. This phone is expected to start at $1,100. It will be much cheaper than the Fold, yet its camera tech will be pretty far ahead of it.
It seems that Google wants to do what Samsung is doing. The Korean tech giant has been selling its foldables with underperforming specs in certain aspects year after year. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Review) still has a 4,400mAh battery while most other foldables have 5,000+ batteries. Also, its camera package has a 50MP, camera accompanied by two 10MP cameras. All of this with a price increase.
The competition is stiff in the foldable market, and it’s getting stiffer as companies like Oppo, Vivo, HONOR, and more continue to churn out jaw-droppers. We also can’t leave out one of the best foldables of last year, the OnePlus Open, which is still receiving praise among the smartphone community. Launching so late in 2023, it doesn’t feel like last year’s phone, but one for this year.
That phone can be had for as little as $1,500. When it comes to the camera, the OnePlus Open does a great job, so people who are looking for a great foldable with a great camera might consider getting that phone over the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
What will make this phone worth it?
Again, Google is associated with being the “Camera phone” company. While the Pixel 9 slab phones might be able to trade punches with the competition, its foldable won’t really have the camera to lean on to take on the other foldables.
Other than that, what will Google bring to the foldable market to turn people away from the Galaxy Z Fold or the OnePlus Open? One valid answer is the Pixel experience, which has developed to the point where it’s a viable reason. However, we can’t overlook the potential price. If you’re not loyal to a particular flavor of Android, then you’re more likely to vote with your wallet.
We’re afraid that Google is going to lean heavily on the AI aspect of its phone. Well, AI is starting to lose its luster. Also, Galaxy foldables users have Galaxy AI and some of Google’s AI features are just going to trickle down to other Android phones in the near future. So, AI won’t be the driving force behind this phone.
Other than that, we’re not sure that Google’s going to bring some revolutionary hardware innovations that will push foldable phones forward. Google will need something to make the Pixel 9 Pro Fold stand out and not just be another foldable on the market. If it’s not the superior camera, then the company is going to have a hard time. The Pixel foldables aren’t as popular as Samsung’s, so the company can’t afford to rest on its loyal fan base.
We’ll just have to wait to see if Google has some AI tricks up its sleeve to help with the photography.
2024-07-26 15:07:03