Google has wrapped up its Pixel 9 series event and arguably its most impressive member is the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold – not what you were expecting?
This is Google’s second attempt at making a Pixel foldable, but it’s already outpacing Samsung’s older Fold, which is now in its sixth generation, in several key features.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold6
In fact we can make a strong argument that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has better hardware overall than the Galaxy Z Fold6, which shows that the Korean company is perhaps getting a little complacent due to the lack of global competition. Well, here’s some great competition that’s coming to seventeen countries around the world.
Better aspect ratio
The main issue users have had with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series is the aspect ratio of the display – specifically, the cover screen. Samsung has recently improved this a bit, but the bottom line is that the Galaxy Z Fold6’s cover screen is much narrower than any modern bar smartphone.
In contrast, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 6.3-inch cover display with a standard 20:9 aspect ratio. As a bonus, it’s also a 1080p panel, while the Z Fold6’s is a few pixels lower at 968p.
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The folding display on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is larger (207.4 cm2 vs 185.2 cm2), has a higher resolution and a closer 1:1 aspect ratio, which is more convenient for multitasking. And multitasking is what book-style foldables are usually bought for.
Thin, if heavy
Google has made the Pixel 9 Pro Fold slim to an impressive level. It’s just 10.5mm folded, which is pretty close to a normal phone, and noticeably thinner than both the Galaxy Z Fold6 (12.1mm) and OnePlus Open (11.7mm). The unfolded Pixel is just 5.1mm – barely thicker than its USB-C port.
Thinner Pixel 9 Pro Fold
To its credit, the Galaxy Z Fold6 is very light – 18 grams to be exact – which isn’t insignificant. Again, a book-style foldable is the sort of device you expect a bit of bulkiness from, while thinness is what you’ll typically feel more in day-to-day use.
Google has also made the Pixel 9 Pro Fold water-resistant, though you won’t be able to go swimming with either of these phones.
More RAM and better cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold6 uses the 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is likely to be better in performance than the new Tensor G4. The processor clock speeds of both chipsets indicate this, although we will know this only after a full review of the new Tensor.
However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has 16 GB of RAM, which is a step up from the 12 GB on the Galaxy Z Fold6. More RAM means more apps can run in the background and a general bump in response.
Fitting high-end camera hardware into foldables is tricky, as these premiere folding phones can attest. Still, at least on paper, the Pixel foldable holds the edge here as well. The Galaxy Z Fold6’s main camera has a larger sensor and a slightly wider lens. But the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a nearly twice as long reaching zoom camera (112mm vs 66mm), and its ultrawide angle camera has autofocus.
Bigger battery, but is the battery life better?
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a slightly larger (~6%) 4,650mAh battery, though charging speeds are disappointing on both. And actual battery endurance is yet to be tested, so this is probably more of a letdown than a definite advantage.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold6 is still a mainstream choice
The fact that the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an overall better hardware package likely won’t bother the Galaxy Z Fold6 too much on its own. The Galaxy Z Fold6 will edge out the Pixel 9 Pro Fold by a mile and that’s not just because it’s more widely available. Samsung’s foldable has more polished multitasking and supports the S Pen. It also has a degree of dust protection. And, if you shop outside of Samsung’s own website, you’re likely to get a better deal on the Galaxy Z Fold6.
However, it is quite disappointing that a company that is hardly known for its cutting-edge hardware has overtaken a company that has become the number one manufacturer globally on the back of its impressive hardware. Sure, Samsung is focusing more and more on the software side and building an ecosystem and that is commendable, but it should not forget what made it a dominant force in the smartphone market. Not in a new sector that is still relatively new and where there is clearly a lot of scope.
Because between the release of Google’s latest Fold and the long-awaited foldables from Chinese companies, with their even more impressive hardware, it’s in danger of being pushed out of the niche it worked so hard to build.
