Pixel Fold review: the first folding device that makes you want more

The Pixel Fold is the first folding smartphone that’s made me see the point of a large display. I can now also transfer this concept to other devices. Although this doesn’t apply to the Android updates that it receives directly from Google. While the Fold proves to be a top smartphone in a lot of areas, it’s not all rosy when it comes to the hinge. The battery life and charging speed also have room for improvement.

No square display

The Pixel Fold is more compact than other folding smartphones. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Huawei Mate X3 are longer and narrower than the Google device when closed. It’s similar to the Oppo Fold N2 in this respect, although that one isn’t officially available in Europe.

The 5.8-inch OLED display on the Pixel looks comparatively compact. With 2092 × 1080 pixels, it offers a sharp picture, and at 1200 nits, it’s bright enough even in sunlight. The Pixel Fold boasts a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Gorilla Glass Victus protects its screen from scratches.

With an aspect ratio of 6:5, the inner OLED display is less square than the Samsung and Huawei competition. 2208 × 1840 pixels are distributed on a diagonal of 7.6 inches. At 1000 nits, it’s slightly darker than the external display, but still bright enough. This smartphone automatically adopts the maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, just as it does with the outdoor feature. The protective layer over the display is made of plastic and less robust than the outer touchscreen.

I like the aspect ratio. For a lot of apps, it seems to make more sense than a square display. It’s more similar to what I’m used to with tablets and notebooks. If I open two apps simultaneously, I’m not just met with two thin strips.

The hinge on the Pixel Fold looks sturdy. Thanks to the small element between the halves, it doesn’t look as delicate as other foldables. I like that. I also like that I can adjust the hinge over the entire range of motion without it snapping shut. This isn’t the case with all folding smartphones. But it comes in handy, as you can use it with apps for split mode. On Youtube, for example, I already notice a small modification that makes the video play in the top half while all the information and comments are housed in the bottom.

There’s one thing that bothers me about the hinge. When I open the smartphone, it doesn’t automatically go to a 180-degree angle. It’s only 179 or maybe 179.5 degrees. The difference is minimal, but I still find it bothersome. When you apply a bit of pressure, the display goes really flat – apart from the fold in the middle. It’s visible and noticeable but no more annoying than on other foldables.

The comparatively wide bezel around the inner display isn’t annoying, but it looks a bit outdated. On the other hand, it lets me hold the Fold without getting my mitts on the touchscreen. Over time, I notice more and more that the display isn’t in the centre. The frame is slightly wider on the hinge side.

A glance into the future with Android 14

Google already mentioned it had adapted the operating system for larger screens and foldable smartphones with Android 13. This development continues with Android 14. As well as visual adjustments, this primarily concerns tools and guidelines for app developers. But mainly, they’re still adapting their programs.

That’s why the current Android 14 beta offers more small adjustments but no big changes yet. I already pointed out that Youtube adjusts to a half-open screen. There could be something like this for more apps in the future.

Apart from that, the multitasking bar is what catches my eye in particular. Its two spots on the right are reserved for recently used apps, which is why they change constantly. The split screen pops up as an option for every app and is thus quick and convenient to use.

In the settings or Gmail, Google uses a split screen within the app. The two app levels get divided between the two halves of the display, and you can scroll them separately. I can see the advantages of this over the classic smartphone view, especially for e-mails. It lets me go through my messages faster and click on them without always having to go back to the overview first.

I’m gradually discovering even more handy uses for the larger work surface. For example, in photo and video editing on the smartphone. In this use case, the folding element of the phone makes the job more comfortable. When I’m watching videos, on the other hand, there’s still a wide edge, and it doesn’t have much advantage over a conventional smartphone in landscape mode.

When gaming, it depends on whether the games are adapted to the display format. In Diablo Immortal, for instance, the loading screen and menus appear with bars. The controls, on the other hand, are adjusted, but the game map is enlarged too much. I can’t see enough of the surroundings.

As a Google smartphone, the Pixel Fold should be among the first to get Android updates. At the moment, Google isn’t revealing exactly how long for. There’s talk of Pixel updates for at least five years, but that only relates to security updates.

Not the most, but enough power

Google has equipped the Pixel Fold with its own Tensor G2 chipset. This offers sufficient performance, but doesn’t come close to the most powerful system-on-a-chip. It’s also the basis for various Google AI features in voice assistant, image editing and the battery. It’s supported by 12 GB of memory. You can choose between 256 and 512 GB of storage, but it can’t be upgraded.

The Tensor G2 performs better in the Pixel Fold than in the Pixel 7 Pro – when it comes to the processor’s performance, at least. When I test out the Vulkan graphics interface, the classic smartphone has a slight lead. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 clearly achieves better values, especially in the slightly tuned version for Samsung.

At 4821 mAh, the battery has a decent capacity for a foldable. However, with a maximum of 30 W, its charging speed is only average. It supports PowerDelivery 3.0 and can work wirelessly with Qi chargers. The battery life is OK, but the Pixel Fold consumes more energy than other smartphones, especially in standby mode.

PCMark’s battery test is based on continual smartphone usage. At maximum screen brightness, the Pixel Fold achieves a runtime of 5.32 hours with its large display and 9.24 hours with the small display. Compared with Huawei’s Mate X3, which has a similar sized battery, the Pixel fares a bit worse.

The times measured are minimum values in minutes, which are already improved due to automatic brightness regulation.

Very good cameras

Three of the Pixel Fold’s five cameras are on the back. There are also two selfie cameras, one each above the outer and inner display.

• Main camera: 48 megapixels, f/1.7, 82 degrees, 1/2 inch
• Ultra-wide-angle camera: 10.8 megapixels, f/2.2, 121.1 degrees, 1/3 inch
• Telephoto camera: 10.8 megapixels, f3.05, 21.9 degrees, 5× optical zoom (super-res zoom: 20×), 1/3.1 inch
• Front camera: 9.5 megapixels, f/2.2, 84 degrees
• Indoor camera: 8 megapixels

The main camera boasts the fastest aperture and the largest sensor. It uses pixel binning as standard and delivers photos with 12 megapixels. Consequently, the resolution isn’t far off that of the two cameras on the back.

Colours

In terms of colour reproduction, the Pixel Fold upholds the standards of previous Pixel smartphones. The 12 megapixels after pixel binning suffice for a detailed shot. The software is good at adjusting strong contrasts in image processing.

Ultra wide angle and zoom

This trend continues when shooting with the ultra-wide-angle camera. The level of detail isn’t quite on a par with the main camera. This is primarily due to the smaller image sensor.

When it comes to zoom, I use the Pixel 7 Pro for comparison. At double magnification, I can’t tell the difference. However, the Fold provides much more detail at 5× zoom. With the same focal length and higher resolution, the 7 Pro looks like an oil painting in comparison.

In super res zoom, the Pixel Fold delivers up to 20× digital magnification. Added value compared to 5× magnification is low. In contrast with the Pixel 7 Pro, I see the traditional smartphone being in the lead – although that hasn’t completely won me over either.

Night

On bright summer evenings, night mode with its longer exposure times didn’t have an advantage over automatic mode on the main camera.

The ultra-wide-angle camera’s night mode, on the other hand, provides more brightness. However, you can’t decipher much real improvement in the level of detail.

Selfies

Selfies from the front camera come out really well. If I use the outer display as a viewfinder and the main camera for selfies, I’m rewarded with a slightly higher level of detail. But it’s really awkward to use the smartphone for selfies when it’s flipped open.

I didn’t end up using the inner selfie camera at all. The Fold is much more practical for selfies when it’s flipped shut. However, the inner camera with its eight megapixels suffices for video calls.

Verdict: makes you want a foldable

The Pixel Fold may not be perfect, but it’s awakened my desire for foldables. Even the small flaw in the hinge doesn’t deter my enthusiasm. The merits of this folding smartphone are only partly down to Google and Android 14. As more apps are adapted for foldables, we’ll start seeing these advantages on other devices as well.

Other than that, the Pixel Fold offers good displays, excellent cameras and more than enough performance. The only aspects Google needs to improve slightly are battery life and charging speed. The price is similar to other foldables on the market, which is currently dominated by Samsung with the Galaxy Z Fold.

The Pixel Fold is available, starting at a recommended retail price of 1,899 euros. As Google doesn’t officially sell its smartphones in Switzerland, there’s no recommended price in francs. At the moment, they’re experiencing some delivery problems and Google doesn’t expect any new devices until the end of August.

Header image: Jan Johannsen