Google has a new foldable to offer, its second-gen one. This one is notably different than the Pixel Fold, the company’s very first foldable smartphone. Not only is it more powerful, but Google changed up the design quite a bit, including the device’s aspect ratio. It feels completely different to use. We’ll compare the two smartphones in this article, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Google Pixel Fold.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold may be Google’s shiny new foldable, but many people still believe that there are better foldable offerings out there. We have not fully tested the Pixel 9 Pro Fold at this point, but our review is coming. We do have quite a bit of information about the device already, so let’s see how it compares to its predecessor. We will first list the specs of both smartphones and will then proceed to compare them across a number of categories.
Specs
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold & Google Pixel Fold, respectively
– Screen size (main):
8-inch Foldable LTPO OLED display (120Hz, HDR10+, 2,700 nits)
7.6-inch Foldable OLED display (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,450 nits)
– Screen Size (cover):
6.3-inch OLED (120Hz, 2,700 nits)
5.8-inch OLED (120Hz)
– Display resolution (main):
2076 x 2152
1840 x 2208
– Display resolution (cover):
2424 x 1080
2092 x 1080
– SoC:
Google Tensor G4
Google Tensor G2
– RAM:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB (LPDDR5)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, OIS), 10.8MP (ultrawide, 127-degree FoV), 10.5MP (telephoto, 5x optical zoom, OIS)
48MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, OIS), 10.8MP (ultrawide, 121-degree FoV), 10.8MP (telephoto, 5x optical zoom, OIS)
– Front cameras:
10MP (main display, f/2.2 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
8MP (main display, f/2.0 aperture), 9.5MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
– Battery:
4,650mAh
4,805mAh
– Charging:
21W wired, 7.5W wireless (no charger)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1 mm
153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm
– Dimensions (folded):
155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5 mm
139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm
– Weight:
257 grams
283 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/5.2
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 14
Android 13 (upgradable)
– Price:
$1,799+
$1,799+
– Buy:
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Best Buy)
Google Pixel Fold (Best Buy)
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Google Pixel Fold: Design
Both of these smartphones are made out of metal and glass. The thing is, they have entirely different aspect ratios. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is taller and narrower. The Pixel Fold is considerably shorter and wider. All of that goes for both folded and unfolded forms. The first-gen model is also notably heavier at 283 grams, compared to 257 grams of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. On top of all that, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also considerably thinner.
Both smartphones have a centered display camera hole on their cover displays. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also has one on the main display, while the Pixel Fold hides one in its bezels. The bezels around the main displays are thinner on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. They’re also uniform, unlike the ones on the Pixel Fold. These two smartphones are both quite slippery, and they feel entirely different in the hand.
They both have rather notable camera bumps on the back, while their shapes are a bit different. The same goes for their designs. Both of these smartphones are IPX8 certified, which means they are water resistant. Both smartphones do feel like premium pieces of tech in the hand. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold does seem more refined. Another detail worth noting is that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a less noticeable display crease, but not to the level of some offerings from China.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Google Pixel Fold: Display
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold includes an 8-inch 2076 x 2152 Foldable LTPO OLED main display. This panel has an adaptive refresh rate, which goes from 1 to 120Hz. It supports HDR content, and its brightness goes up to 2,700 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is around 89%. The cover display measures 6.3 inches, and this is an OLED panel. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR content. The resolution here is 2424 x 1080, and the display aspect ratio is 20:9. This panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The peak brightness is 2,700 nits.
The Google Pixel Fold, on the flip side, has a 7.6-inch 1840 x 2208 OLED display. This panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz, and it supports HDR content. Its peak brightness is 1,450 nits, while the screen-to-body ratio is around 83%. The resolution here is 1840 x 2208. The cover display measures 5.8 inches and offers a resolution of 2092 x 1080. This is an OLED panel, and it has a refresh rate of 120Hz. HDR content is supported, while the Gorilla Glass Victus protects this display. The screen-to-body ratio is 17.4:9, while the peak brightness is 1,550 nits.
All four displays are good, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold does have the advantage, in several ways. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s displays are brighter, and the main display has a less noticeable crease compared to the Pixel Fold’s main panel. All four displays are quite vivid, though, and offer good viewing angles. On top of that, the touch response is good on all of them, while the blacks are deep.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Google Pixel Fold: Performance
Google’s brand new foldable is fueled by the Google Tensor G4 processor, a 4nm chip. This phone is offering 16GB of RAM, though we’re not sure if it’s LPDDR5X or LPDDR5 RAM. Other Pixel 9 phones include LPDDR5X, so this one hopefully does too. UFS 3.1 flash storage is also in use. The Pixel Fold, on the flip side, is fueled by the Tensor G2 chip, which is a 5nm processor. This smartphone includes 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.
Now, the Tensor G4 chip is not that much more powerful than the Tensor G2. The Tensor G5 next year is supposed to be a huge bump, and manufactured by TSMC: Still, the Tensor G4 does bring a performance improvement, and more notably, a much better modem. That should help with both the signal strength and battery life. In regards to general performance, both smartphones do a very good job.
We noticed that they’re both snappy when it comes to opening apps and general smartphone usage. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold does have an edge, though, we’ve noticed that it opens apps a bit faster at times. They’re both good for multitasking, and the same goes for multimedia consumption, browsing, messaging, and so on. They do a great job on those fronts. Where neither phone shines is under very heavy loads. While they can play demanding games, that’s not the best experience. So if you’re a gamer, you may want to look elsewhere, the Tensor G3 and G4 chips are not made for gaming.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Google Pixel Fold: Battery
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a 4,650mAh battery on the inside. The Pixel Fold comes with a 4,821mAh battery. So the new phone has a smaller battery despite the fact it has larger displays. That’s not exactly the best move Google made, but there you have it. We haven’t really been able to fully test the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s battery life, but the Pixel Fold did well in that regard.
There are foldables out there that offer much bigger battery packs than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and have similar display sizes. So that has us a little worried when it comes to its battery life. The longevity will also depend heavily on how much you use the main display, of course. If you don’t use it all that much, the battery life will be notably better. That’s just one piece of the puzzle, though. Check back soon, as our review is coming.
In regards to charging, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports 21W wired, and 7.5W wireless charging. The same actually goes for the Pixel Fold. Google didn’t improve charging on the new phone. The company is also recommending you use its very own 45W charger to charge these devices. That’s not necessary, though, as both PD3.0 and PPS protocols are supported, so you can easily use a compatible third-party charger.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Google Pixel Fold: Cameras
Both of these smartphones have five cameras, three of which are on the back. Google did not make notable changes to the cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, in fact, some of them are identical to the ones on the Pixel Fold. A 48-megapixel main camera (f/1.7 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) is the same on both smartphones. The same goes for a 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera (f/3.1 aperture, 112mm lens, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom).
The ultrawide cameras on the back seem to be slightly different, but only slightly. A 10.5-megapixel unit (f/2.2 aperture, 127-degree FoV, 1/3.4-inch camera sensor) sits on the back of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. On the Pixel Fold, you’ll find a 10.8-megapixel ultrawide unit (f/2.2 aperture, 121-degree FoV, 1/3.0-inch sensor, 1.25um pixel size). Front-facing units are also quite similar. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has two 10-megapixel units, which are the same. The Pixel Fold, on the other hand, includes 8 and 9.5-megapixel cameras.
We did take some pictures with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but we’re not ready to make any conclusions just yet. No, the camera performance does not seem to be as good as what the other Pixel 9 phones offer, but that was to be expected. In fact, the pictures seem to be quite similar to what the Pixel Fold offers. You will still get contrasty images with colors that pop, but the quality is not to the level of the Pixel 9 series. Considering the camera quality on book-style foldable, this is quite good, though.
Audio
You’ll find stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. We’ll reserve our judgment for the full review of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but the output doesn’t seem to be all that different from the Pixel Fold, based on initial impressions.
Neither phone includes an audio jack. You can always hook up your wired headphones to their Type-C ports, if you want, though. Alternatively, these two smartphones feature Bluetooth 5.3 and 5.2 support.
2024-08-20 15:09:31