Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review: in great shape

I can’t overstate however nice it feels to usage the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s interior screen. I’ve ne'er felt truthful smug utilizing each my small apps astatine the java store connected a large screen, folding it successful half, and putting it successful my pocket. 

Google nailed the hardware this clip around. The beforehand surface looks like, well, a mean telephone screen. I can’t accidental the aforesaid astir the erstwhile Pixel Fold’s beforehand surface oregon six generations of Samsung’s Z Fold. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is besides airy capable that I tin hide I’m utilizing a folding telephone for full stretches of time. Imagine!

Google solved a batch of the archetypal Fold’s problems, but it hasn’t solved each of them. Thankfully, the ones that are near are conscionable folding telephone problems. The cameras aren’t arsenic bully arsenic the cameras connected the regular Pixel 9 series. It’s inactive thicker and heavier than adjacent the biggest slab-style phones. It won’t beryllium arsenic casual to repair, and it’s doubly the terms of a garden-variety flagship phone. If you’re looking for reasons to speech yourself retired of a $1,799 purchase, you’re welcome.

But for idiosyncratic who’s feeling adventurous and isn’t acrophobic with the drawbacks of folding telephone life, I’m atrocious to say, you should astir apt walk $1,800 connected this phone. It’s that good.

Google took precisely the close cues from OnePlus, splitting the quality betwixt the erstwhile Pixel Fold and the Open. The beforehand surface feels similar utilizing a mean screen. It’s not overmuch heavier than a mean phone. The interior surface is big. Everything is the mode it should be. 

This Pixel Fold whitethorn beryllium a “Pro” phone, but it shares surface specs with the modular Pixel 9 and not the Pixel 9 Pro. All 3 devices person a 6.3-inch OLED, but the regular 9 and the 9 Pro Fold person 1080p resolutions and apical retired astatine 1,800 nits successful highest brightness mode. The 9 Pro’s surface is conscionable a small sharper and brighter, truthful that’s a tradeoff you’ll request to marque if you privation the Pixel that folds successful half.

The outer surface isn’t rather arsenic “Pro” arsenic it could be, but the interior surface is wherever the money’s at, and it’s overmuch brighter this year. That’s an important betterment connected a instrumentality that’s expected to, you know, spell extracurricular with you each the time. What’s the amusive successful flexing that large show sitting extracurricular of the java store if you person to squint astatine it? The boosted highest brightness of 2,700 nits makes it overmuch much comfy to usage extracurricular than the erstwhile generation’s screen.

There are immoderate camera hardware tradeoffs. The regular Pixel 9 phones each person a nicer 50-megapixel main camera with a bigger sensor compared to the 9 Pro Fold’s 48-megapixel camera. There’s not a monolithic difference, but you tin compression a small much item successful low-light shots retired of the regular Pixel 9’s camera. The foldable Pixel’s telephoto lens isn’t rather arsenic good, either, and low-light photos compared to the modular Pixel 9’s 5x zoom are noticeably softer. 

It’s a insignificant feature, but “Made You Look” — which uses the outer show to amusement an adorable animation to drawback a kid’s attraction — works exactly arsenic advertised. Yet it uses the outer screen’s selfie camera, which isn’t large successful debased light. Don’t get maine wrong, this is simply a bully camera strategy overall. But it’s an country wherever fundamentally each foldables lag down slab phones, what with each the interior abstraction needed for moving parts. We can’t person it each — astatine slightest not yet.

And atrocious to support being a bummer, but you’ll privation to see durability if you’re buying a folding telephone versus a slab phone. Its IPX8 standing means the 9 Pro Fold tin withstand h2o immersion, but you’re connected your ain if a atom of soil works its mode into the hinge. Best to fig successful the other $279 for Google’s extended attraction program with the acquisition terms of this already pricey phone.

Now, capable of the little amusive stuff! Let’s speech astir the champion portion of this phone: utilizing the large screen. The phone’s new, taller format — on with improved rendering from immoderate apps — makes for a overmuch amended interior surface experience. You tin presumption 2 apps connected the surface astatine once, which is large for cross-referencing Google Maps and Eater, but that’s the limit.

I get wherefore Google does this, and you benignant of person to beryllium a weirdo similar maine to privation to tally 3 oregon 4 apps astatine erstwhile successful small tiles. But Samsung’s foldable UI lets you bash this, and I’m conscionable a small bittersweet that I can’t person a tiny Spotify subordinate successful the country of the surface portion I tally 2 different apps similar I tin connected the Galaxy Z Fold 6. 

Still! Using the large surface is simply a joy. I’m much inclined to usage the 9 Pro Fold for analyzable tasks that would beryllium annoying connected a regular phone. Opening Chrome and seeing each my tabs successful a enactment astatine the apical of the surface fills my bosom with joy. I tin notation to a leafage connected Icy Veins while I put my paragon points successful Diablo IV, rather than squinting astatine a small screen. Those small things adhd up.

I’ve besides been impressed with the 9 Pro Fold’s artillery life. It’s not rather arsenic robust arsenic the modular Pixel 9 models, but it comfortably lasts done a mean time with tons of GPS navigation, hotspot use, and clip connected the interior screen. Even connected those days, I ever had astatine slightest 40 percent near successful the vessel by bedtime.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold makes folding phones marque consciousness to me. It’s much similar a mean telephone than ever, but it’s besides not completely similar utilizing a mean phone. By opting for a telephone that folds, you’re inactive making tradeoffs, peculiarly successful the camera hardware. The phone’s semipermanent durability is besides an chartless — virtually nary 1 has owned a Pixel folding telephone for much than a twelvemonth astatine this point. Foldable ownership isn’t for the faint of heart.

But the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the astir rewarding folding telephone I’ve ever used. Using the telephone portion it’s closed feels mode little cumbersome and overmuch much mean than the erstwhile Pixel Fold oregon a Galaxy Z Fold. That makes utilizing the large interior surface consciousness that overmuch much rewarding; I don’t consciousness similar I’m putting up with a bulky telephone the remainder of the clip to get that experience.

This foldable comes with its tradeoffs: the downgraded camera hardware; durability concerns; and ohio yeah, the eighteen 100 US dollars it costs. But I deliberation Google made the close tradeoffs present to optimize the interior surface experience. It’s an acquisition that I’ll miss erstwhile I power backmost to the adjacent slab-style telephone that I trial — 1 that foldable fans and the foldable-curious volition find precise rewarding, too. Because deity damn, this is simply a bully phone.

Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge