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Techopedia has had a hands-on spin with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold that suggests it’s a dramatic improvement over the original, so long as you don’t mind the camera changes.
By far the biggest upgrade is the design. Gone is the relatively thick design with a large camera bump. The 9 Pro Fold isn’t the thinnest book-like foldable on the planet, but you notice that 10.2mm profile right away, and the flat sides give it a higher-end feel whether it’s open or shut. And yes, the device finally opens completely flat without effort, unlike its not-quite-there predecessor.
I love the eight-inch foldable screen. The 9 Pro Fold’s signature display isn’t theoretically much larger than that of the Pixel Fold, but it feels big and an excellent fit for multitasking. It also stretches closer to the edges where the earlier model had more conspicuous borders. You’ll still notice a crease at certain viewing angles, but it’s not a problem in practice.
The cover display also deserves attention. At j6.3 inches, it’s noticeably bigger than the 5.8-inch example from before and definitely more comfortable to use in those moments when you just want to dash off a quick message. You’ll still want a conventional device like the regular Pixel 9 series if you dislike the bulk of a foldable, but it’s easy to see the sacrifice being worthwhile.
As with the other Pixel 9 models, the Pro Fold and its Tensor G4 were nimble in our hands-on session, particularly for AI. You’ll want Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 if you want the raw speed of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, though.
There wasn’t much opportunity to try the cameras, but that’s what might give you reason for pause versus other foldables. The 48-megapixel main camera should be fine, particularly with Google’s image pipeline updates, but the 10.8MP telephoto and 10.5MP ultrawide won’t thrill you if you’re looking for high-res specialized shots. They’re tradeoffs for a slim profile that might be worth it for some people, but not mobile photography enthusiasts who might spring for the Z Fold 6 or OnePlus Open.
And then there’s the price. The $1,799 makes the 9 Pro Fold more affordable than Samsung’s hardware, but not by much. You’re still paying a premium for that tablet-sized internal screen. You might want to look at the $1,700 OnePlus Open if raw camera quality and price are more important than a thin body and the official Google experience.
