How Google’s foldables stack up

• Pixel 9 Professional Fold

  A extra refined providing

  Google’s Pixel 9 Professional Fold goals to unravel the unique Pixel Fold’s key points because of its thinner and lighter design, Tensor G4 chip and extra fluid hinge.

  Professionals

  • Improved hinge
  • Higher total build-quality
  • Sleeker wanting

  Cons

  • Nonetheless a dear smartphone
  • Nonetheless has a visual crease
  • Would not have the identical digital camera setup because the Pixel 9 Professional

• 

  Pixel Fold

  Google’s first foldable

  Google’s first foldable is a strong machine that is sadly held again by software program points and minor build-quality complaints.

  Professionals

  • An incredible first foldable
  • Cowl show is a superb dimension
  • Nice digital camera outcomes

  Cons

  • Software program and build-quality are lacklusture
  • It is costly
  • Middling battery life

At its latest Made by Google {hardware} keynote, the eponymous tech large unveiled its second-generation stab on the foldable phone market, which it is calling the Pixel 9 Professional Fold. This new machine supersedes the unique Pixel Fold from final yr, and it is now obtainable for pre-order for an eye-watering $1,700.

Google’s new pocketable pill is not formally being marketed because the Pixel Fold 2, however it’s very a lot a direct successor product. With that in thoughts, let’s evaluate each generations of Google foldables, and see precisely the place the corporate has made modifications for this yr’s providing.

9:01

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Value, specs, and availability

All the basics

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold is priced at $1799, and is slated to ship in September 2024. It comes with the brand new Tensor G4 processor and 16GB of RAM. The unique Pixel Fold, in contrast, was launched in Might 2023, and runs utilizing the older Tensor G2 chip and 12GB of RAM.

Each foldables launched on the identical worth level, and provide 256GB of storage within the base configuration. IPX8 water resistance, ultra-wideband (UWB), and NFC are current on each fashions, however solely the newer Pixel 9 Professional Fold comes with the iPhone-esque Satellite tv for pc SOS help.

• 	Pixel 9 Professional Fold	Google Pixel Fold
  Model	Google	Google
  SoC	Tensor G4, Titan M2 safety processor	Google Tensor G2
  Show	Inner display screen – 2076 x 2152 pixel decision OLED at (373 PPI), exterior show – 1080 x 2424 pixel decision OLED (422 PPI), 1800 nits (HDR), 2700 nits (peak brightness)	5.8-inch, OLED, 2092 x 1080, 120Hz (cowl) / 6.7-inch OLED, UTG, 2208 x 1840, 120Hz (essential)
  Battery	4650 mAh	4821mAh, 30W quick charging, Wi-fi charging
  Working System	Android 14	Android
  Entrance digital camera	10-megapixel f/2.2, 10-megapixel internal digital camera	9.5MP, f/2.2 (cowl) / 8MP, f/2.0 (essential)
  Rear digital camera	48-megapixel f/1.7 vast, 10.5-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 10.8-megapixel f/3.1 telephoto	48MP f/1.7 essential, 10.8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 10.8MP f/3.05 telephoto
  Dimensions	Folded – 155.2 peak x 77.1 width x 10.5-inches depth, Unfolded – 6.1 peak x 5.9 width x 0.2-inches depth	139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm (folded), 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8mm (unfolded), 283g
  Colours	Obsidian, procelain	Obsidian, Porcelain
  Weight	9.1oz (257g)	283g

Design and construct

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold {hardware} makes the unique Pixel Fold seem like a beta launch

As a book-style foldable cellphone inside the broader Pixel 9 lineup, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold appears and feels the half to a tee. The overall Pixel design language is unbroken right here, and the machine intently resembles the unique Pixel Fold for essentially the most half.

As with the opposite new Pixel 9 handsets, there is a deal with angularity and an total sharper construct than what we have seen up to now. The digital camera array stays distinctly ‘Pixel’ in look, however the lenses are actually separated into two distinct sections that resemble extra of a rectangle than a conventional bar form.

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold launches in Obsidian and Porcelain colorways, matching that of the first-generation Pixel Fold. Sadly, extra expressive Pixel colours like Bay Blue or Coral Pink aren’t on provide at the moment.

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Show

Google’s new foldable is brighter than the earlier technology

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s internal and outer shows are just like these of the unique Pixel Fold from a technical perspective. The inner OLED display screen is available in at a 2076 x 2152 pixel decision, with the exterior OLED coming in at 1080 x 2424 pixels. These are barely completely different panel resolutions than the outgoing mannequin, which has an 1840 x 2208 inside show and a 1080 x 2092 cowl show. General, pixel density is roughly comparable throughout each gadgets.

Google quotes a peak of 2700 nits of brightness for the principle show, which is up from the height of 1450 nits within the outgoing mannequin. This can possible be essentially the most placing change when each shows side-by-side.

With out even turning on the show, nevertheless, the largest change that is instantly noticeable is the dramatic discount in show bezel dimension. The Pixel Fold has comparatively giant bezels when in comparison with different foldables in the marketplace, such the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, so these new slimmer ones are an enormous step up in each esthetics and screen-to-body ratio.

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Internals

Google’s new Tensor G4 processor launches with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold

Google/Pocket-lint

For $1,799, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold ships with 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and the brand new Google Tensor G4 chip that it shares with the opposite new Pixel 9 handsets. As talked about, final yr’s Pixel Fold runs on the older Tensor G2 paired with 12GB of RAM.

We’ll have to check the G4 out in the true world, in addition to utilizing simulated benchmarks, to get a greater concept of how way more performant it’s in comparison with final yr’s chip. Sadly, from a brute {hardware} perspective, it would not seem like Google’s processor shall be completely aggressive with the sturdy competitors from each Qualcomm and Apple.

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Cameras

Even with ‘Professional’ in its title, the digital camera {hardware} stays a step down from the corporate’s slab cellphone choices

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold is fitted with a triple rear digital camera setup, identical to the unique Pixel Fold. Particularly, we’re getting a 48-megapixel vast, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, and 10.8-megapixel telephoto setup right here, which intently matches the digital camera {hardware} featured in final yr’s mannequin.

As with the unique Pixel Fold, it stays disappointing that Google is not placing its top-of-the-line digital camera {hardware} into the bundle, as a substitute reserving it for the Pixel 9 Professional and Pixel 9 Professional slab-style telephones. Inner house constraints are prone to blame right here, however contemplating the asking worth, it is nonetheless lower than supreme.

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Verdict: Is the Pixel 9 Professional Fold a worthy successor to final yr’s Pixel Fold?

Worth proposition

At a beginning worth of $1,799, Google’s new Pixel 9 Professional Fold is not low cost within the slightest. Fortunately, the value hasn’t risen when in comparison with final yr’s Pixel Fold, however it additionally hasn’t decreased in any respect.

High Choose

Pixel 9 Professional Fold

Google’s Pixel 9 Professional Fold goals to unravel the unique Pixel Fold’s key points because of its thinner and lighter design, Tensor G4 chip and extra fluid hinge.

Finest Worth

Google Pixel Fold

The Pixel Fold takes Google’s telephones in a brand new course, embracing the next-gen display screen tech and presenting a premium Pixel possibility. It is an amazing high quality cellphone, however it’s clear there’s nonetheless work to be finished on app optimisation to reinforce the expertise.

For foldable Android telephones to actually take off, it is abundantly clear that costs want to come back down by a superb margin. With this being Google’s second technology Fold product, the corporate seems to be emphasizing polish and high quality of life enhancements absent from the unique Pixel Fold launch.

Hopefully, as soon as Google begins to hit one thing of a stride inside the foldable market phase, we’ll see costs regularly lower. In the intervening time, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold appears to be a strong enchancment over the Pixel Fold, evoking a way of bodily refinement over the corporate’s earlier providing.

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