The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the company’s second attempt at a foldable smartphone. It has perfected the design, offering a device that seamlessly transitions between a regular phone and a large, bright tablet when unfolded. When closed, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold resembles a typical smartphone.
It is easy to use and carry around. At £1,749, it may seem pricey, but its closed form feels uncomplicated and familiar. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold sports a 6.3-inch Full HD+ OLED external screen.
Unfold it, and you’re greeted with an 8-inch tablet screen, perfect for multitasking or enjoying high-resolution content. The square shape of the tablet screen is ideal for using two apps side by side. The crease in the middle of the display is less noticeable than in previous models.
The display itself is crisp and smooth, with high brightness levels that make outdoor use much easier. Powered by the Tensor G4 chip and 16GB of RAM, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold performs admirably. The foldable lasts about 40 hours on a single charge, a bit more than a typical smartphone.
Charging takes around 97 minutes with a 45W USB-C charger. Running on Android 14, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold boasts seven years of software support. A standout feature is the Gemini app for AI multitasking, allowing users to have full discussions with Google while using another app concurrently.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is equipped with a 48MP wide, 10.5MP ultrawide, and 10.8MP 5x telephoto cameras, along with two 10MP selfie cameras. The main 48MP camera performs well in diverse lighting conditions.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold design
Despite not matching the quality of Google’s non-folding phones, these cameras are the best available on a foldable device. Google has made strides in sustainability with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, incorporating at least 18% recycled materials in its construction. The phone is designed to be repairable, with genuine replacement parts available.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the best folding phone-tablet hybrid design yet. It offers a smooth, natural phone experience when closed and a fantastic tablet experience when opened. It’s a significant leap over its predecessor, with solid battery life, snappy performance, and class-leading cameras.
In an interview, George Hwang, Product Manager for Consumer Hardware, and Jon Prowse, Hardware Product Manager for Pixel Phones, discussed the idea of a foldable phone, lessons from the Pixel Fold, and the challenges presented by the design. They emphasized that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a Google-wide effort, starting from the silicon level and involving many teams. The design process involved knowing what not to put into the device, and the team focused on making it thinner than the original Pixel Fold.
The changes in size not only affect usability but also address the complaint about the cover screens on older designs being tall and thin. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold team focused on making the folded form look like the smaller Pixel 9 Pro, allowing users to perform quick tasks uninhibited. The ability to multitask with two windows, both the same size as a regular smartphone screen, offers a new interface that feels like an old favorite.
User feedback showed high usage of the split-screen software, more than just general tablets. The camera required careful consideration to fit into the thinner frame of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The team had to think within different constraints than a normal phone to bring the utmost quality in the images.
When asked if the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a phone or a tablet, the team abstracted the question. They want to build things that people love and use day in and day out, without having to choose between one or the other. Sometimes it’s a phone, sometimes it’s a tablet, but it remains the Pixel 9 Pro Fold all the time.
