Hands-On With Google's Pixel Fold Smartphone

Google in May unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold. We picked up a Pixel Fold and thought we'd check it out to see how it compares to Apple's latest iPhones.


The Pixel Fold has a display size of 7.6 inches when it is unfolded, but when collapsed, the cover display measures in at 5.8 inches. Both displays feature a refresh rate up to 120Hz, like the latest Pro iPhones. It has a strong hinge that works at any angle, and when closed, there's no gap in the hinge.

Size wise, the Pixel Fold is the perfect size for day to day use when folded thanks to the cover screen, and it's sized like the iPhone X for reference. At 7.6 inches unfolded, it's bigger than any smartphone but smaller than an iPad mini, so it is a nice in-between size that's neither too small nor too big.

There's a Google Tensor G2 processor inside, Google's analogue to the A-series chips that Apple designs. It features 12GB RAM and starts with 256GB of storage and a 4821mAh battery, so the hardware is not too far off of what Apple's offering. As for software, Google has been working on Android for foldable smartphones, but developers have not all adapted their Android apps for the form factor and it's noticeable.

Google included a 48-megapixel rear camera, the same as Apple's 14 Pro and Pro Max, which is okay, but nothing spectacular. It also has 10.8-megapixel telephoto and ultrawide cameras, along with a 9.5-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel inner camera.

Rumors have suggested that Apple is experimenting with foldable smartphone technology, but so far work on such a device has not moved out of the early prototyping stage. There is no word on when Apple might come out with a folding ‌iPhone‌, but with the launch of the Pixel Fold, the major Android manufacturers all offer foldable smartphones.

The Pixel Fold is priced at $1,800, which is much higher priced than anything Apple offers. The steep price point for foldables may be one reason why Apple has yet to enter the market.

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Top Rated Comments

contacos Avatar
21 months ago

I’d pay $1,800 for an iOS foldable, 100%
That’s what you will pay soon for a non-foldable iPhone
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Fan 2008 Avatar
21 months ago
Ah yes... the future

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Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacWiz_007 Avatar
21 months ago
Finally I can send an update! I got my Pixel Fold on June 27th (Porcelain 256GB), and I like it so much it was easy to trade my Z Fold 4 in for it. The combination of the form factor and a more vanilla Android experience were enough for me to make the switch. The battery optimization and battery life are much better than the Z Fold 4 as well, in my use case anyway. I use my phone between 1.5 and 2 hours a day during the week, at most, and I always have around 70% battery life at the end of the day (my day starts at 4:45am and ends at 8:45pm). The inner and outer display look great and the speech recognition for texts, etc. is top notch. It is buttery smooth no matter what I've thrown at it. I haven't had any issues with the phone getting too hot or overheating. Maybe I won the Tensor chip lottery, but again no issues here. The bezels don't bother me like I thought they would because I force dark mode on everything anyway. I do hate bezels with a passion, but I don't ever really see the bezels on the PF. Also, the bezels do prevent accidental touches and it gives me something extra to use when folding the device so I don't feel like I'm pushing on the display. The cameras are top tier. It fits easily in pants/shorts/gym shorts pockets. When folded it is barely thicker than my wife's 12 Pro Max with a slim case on it. This phone honestly looks and feels a lot like I would imagine a Steve Jobs era foldable phone would end up looking and feeling in hand. If you have ever wanted to try a foldable, I highly recommend the Pixel Fold. Even though I pretty much despise Google, this is a great phone and at least Google is US based (unlike Samsung, etc.), which is a big win to me. Worst case scenario, you can always return it. For reference, I owned every iPhone from the 4 to the 12 Pro Max. I jumped ship for the Z Fold 3 and I've never looked back nor have I regretted this decision. Every device I owned was Apple, and it was a lot of devices. The switch was not difficult for me at all. I know the diehards will downvote this, but that's okay. When I see someone with an iPhone now, I think to myself "Aw, what a cute little slab phone that never changes its design and doesn't support multitasking, I'm glad I don't have one of those anymore". Come on folks, I have to have a little fun with you here! ? I think it is nice to have options in this world. If Apple made a book style foldable iPhone, I would consider going back to Apple. I really enjoy Android now though. It has come a looooong way in the past five years.

***For those of you who are about to say "it's a solution in search of a problem" or "I don't get the appeal of foldables", it is simple really. I was using an iPhone and an iPad Mini daily, and I wanted two devices in one highly portable device. It's not rocket science***
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surfzen21 Avatar
21 months ago
There appears to be no way to make a foldable screen look premium.

That crease makes it look like a cheap $10 kids toy.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
21 months ago
It looks cool but not worth $1,800 for a smartphone.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tagsaid Avatar
21 months ago
Im probably in the minority here, but if I wasnt so deep into the Apple ecosystem, I would have bought this at launch.

I know some feel it’s dumb or just a gimmick, which I can agree with gimmick, but after playing with a galaxy fold for a few hours, I can’t help but love the concept folding concept.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)