Google has wholly redesigned the $1,799 Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and the result is a much more refined and appealing device than last year's Pixel Fold. We're impressed by its slimmed-down shape, bright new displays, stronger hinge, capable cameras, and the power of Google's Tensor G4 processor. As much as we appreciate the hardware—as well as the many Gemini AI-powered features the phone shares with other Pixel 9 devices—Google hasn't addressed some of our primary complaints about the original phone when it comes to putting the large inner screen to work. For those who are mostly interested in AI functionality, entertainment, and photography, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the folding phone to get. But if you want to be able to run more apps at a time on the inner display, connect to an external monitor, or even use a stylus, the $1,899 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a bit more powerful and our Editors' Choice.
Hands On With the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Design: Better In Every Way
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is entirely different from the Pixel Fold. Google has made the phone taller and trimmed the width to give it a more traditional phone shape. It measures 6.1 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD) closed and 6.1 by 5.9 by 0.2 inches open. Last year's Fold measured 5.5 by 3.1 by 0.5 inches closed and 5.5 by 6.2 by 0.25 inches open, by comparison. The new phone is also lighter at 9.1 ounces compared with 10.0 ounces of the original. Looking at Samsung's foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 measures 6.04 by 2.68 by 0.48 inches closed, 6.04 by 5.22 by 0.22 inches open, and weighs a bit less at 8.43 ounces.
The refreshed dimensions and lower weight truly improve the experience of carrying and using the phone day to day. It feels more natural to hold, fits into pockets more easily, and weighs you down less.
Google has rebuilt the hinge with a multi-alloy steel that is protected by a high-strength aluminum cover. The company claims the hinge is tougher and rejects dust most thoroughly, which should help with longevity. The hinge has a nice, smooth feel to it when you open and close the phone and it unfolds a full 180 degrees, which allows the phone to lie fully flat. Last year's Fold didn't open all the way, which cheapened the experience of using it to some degree. The new hinge sits firmly at any angle you wish.
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The outer frame is made from 100% recycled aluminum and the two outer glass panels are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. I like the matte feel of the rear glass, which is less slippery than the glass of the original Pixel Fold. The phone meets the IPX8 rating for protection against water, which means it can sit in about 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes; the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and other Pixel 9 phones share the same IP rating.
You'll find the controls all tucked into the right edge. A combined power button and fingerprint scanner sit above a single volume toggle. Both buttons have good profiles that make them easy to find by feel and they provide excellent feedback when pressed. The fingerprint scanner works particularly well. Moreover, Google has upgraded both the outer and inner user-facing cameras so that they can securely scan and identify your face. I found the facial recognition worked great and was a nice alternative to the fingerprint reader. Google was smart to make it secure enough for financial transactions. Stereo speakers are located on the top and bottom edges, while the USB-C port for charging is on the bottom and the SIM card tray is on the bottom left edge.
Google has also redesigned the rear camera bar. Like most Pixel phones, last year's Pixel Fold featured a rectangular bar that stretched across the rear panel. This year, the camera module is now a square that's located in the upper left corner (like many phones). It's quite big and obvious to the eye, and makes the phone wobbly when resting on flat surfaces.
Like last year, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes in Obsidian (black) or Porcelain (white). If you prefer a wider selection of colors, including blue, pink, and silver, you'll have to opt for the Z Fold 6.
Displays: Bigger and Brighter
Google has done a great job in refreshing the two screens. The outer display improves from 5.8 inches to 6.3 inches and shares its size and resolution with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro screens. It packs 2,424 by 1,080 pixels and has a density of 422 pixels per inch (ppi). Its refresh rate varies from 60Hz to 120Hz, and the display can handle HDR content at 24 bits. It has a contrast ratio of 2 million to 1 and a brightness of 1,800 nits (typical) and 2,700 nits (peak). Comparatively, the outer display of the Z Fold 6 measures 6.3 inches with 2,376 by 968 pixels in a narrower shape. It supports an adaptive refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz and a brightness of up to 2,600 nits (peak). The wider shape of the 9 Pro Fold's outer screen makes it easier for typing, but otherwise the pixel density and brightness are evenly matched between the two.
Google stretches the inner screen from 7.6 inches to 8 inches, making it one of the bigger screens on a book-style foldable. It's an LTPO panel and has 2,076 by 2,152 pixels at 373ppi, a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a 2-million-to-1 contrast ratio, and 1,600 nits (typ) and up to 2,700 nits (peak) brightness. It's a significant improvement over the original Fold, which featured 2,208 by 1,840 pixels at a density of 378ppi and not nearly as much brightness or contrast. The inner screen of the Z Fold 6 measures 7.6 inches and has 2,160 by 1,856 pixels and up to a similar 2,600 nits (peak).
Critically, Google has reduced the thickness of the bezels around the inner screen. This really helps improve the overall experience of using the phone. A plastic frame still surrounds the screen, but it's much less noticeable. One result of this change, however, is that Google has to relocate the inner selfie camera from the bezel to the display itself; it's now tucked into the far right corner of the screen. You'll find that it's mostly invisible.
Last, the crease in the middle of the inner screen is less noticeable than the one from last year. It's about the same as that of the Z Fold 6. You'll find the crease if you're looking for it, but once you turn the screen on, it's pretty hard to see.
The improvement to the screens really helps the 9 Pro Fold. It's much easier to use outdoors under bright sunlight and the clarity ensures that HD video content looks its best.
Performance: An Appreciable Boost
The entire Pixel 9 family relies on Google's Tensor G4 processor and Titan M2 security coprocessor. The original Pixel Fold used the older Tensor G2 chip, so the difference between that phone and the 9 Pro Fold is significant. The new phone also ships with more RAM, 16GB, compared with 12GB. The 9 Pro Fold comes with either 256GB ($1,799) or 512GB ($1,919) of storage, but not 1TB (an option available to the Z Fold 6).
Google continues to claim that its Tensor chips are designed to handle on-device machine learning and AI tasks, not run benchmarks as fast as possible. I have no complaints about the phone's speed. When performing everyday tasks such as multitasking, streaming video, or browsing the web, the 9 Pro Fold felt fast and light on its feet. It never lagged or felt sluggish. I ran some benchmarks anyway so we can better compare it with the competition.
Geekbench 6 tasks the CPU and provides some guidance on how a device can handle intense processing. Here, the 9 Pro Fold scored 1,946 on the single-core test and 4,453 on the multi-core test. The original Pixel Fold tallied 1,098 and 3,031 on these same tests, while the Z Fold 6, which relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, reached 2,231 and 6,821.
Next, I ran the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which evaluates how well a phone can perform regular tasks such as browsing the web and opening apps. The 9 Pro Fold scored 13,303, while the original Fold scored 11,921, and the Z Fold 6 scored 17,214.
Last, I used the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test to gauge gaming potential. The 9 Pro Fold ran the test at an excellent 66fps while the original Fold hit just 19fps and the Z Fold 6 hit 63fps. The 9 Pro Fold and Z Fold 6 are near the top of the ladder when it comes to GPU power and both handle gaming quite well. I loaded Genshin Impact and Asphalt Legends Unite onto the Pixel and enjoyed some full-screen gaming for more than 30 minutes before the rear panel began to get a little warm. Suffice it to say the 9 Pro Fold is a multimedia monster.
Battery: Squeezing More From Less
Due to the design changes, Google uses a smaller battery in the 9 Pro Fold. It drops from 4,821mAh in the original Fold to 4,650mAh in the 9 Pro. Google says that even though the new battery is 171mAh smaller, it should still last for more than 24 hours of continuous use and up to 72 hours in Extreme Battery Saver mode. Our tests didn't match those numbers but do reveal that the battery is indeed better year over year.
Our battery test involves streaming an HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to the maximum. We ran the test twice: once for the outer display and once for the inner display. The outer display test resulted in battery life of 11 hours even, a jump from the 9 hours and 35 minutes of the original Pixel Fold. Switching to the internal screen, the battery ran for 10 hours and 15 minutes, a more significant jump over the original Fold's result of 8 hours. Comparatively, the Z Fold 6's 4,000mAh battery ran from 11 hours and 30 minutes when tested on the outer screen, so the two are in the same ballpark. Anecdotally, the Pixel maintained much better battery life on a day-to-day basis than its predecessor over nearly a week of testing. It typically held plenty of charge at the end of the day despite heavy use throughout.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold charges at about the same speed as last year's phone: 30W wired. It can charge via Qi wireless charging at 7.5W, the same as last year's Pixel. Recharging the 9 Pro Fold with a 45W charger took about 1 hour and 40 minutes, or 10 minutes less than last year's phone. The Z Fold 6 has comparative charging rates (25W) and times (1 hour, 35 minutes).
Folding phones continue to trail regular slab-style devices when it comes to battery life, but there's been a steady improvement year over year. If battery life is your top concern, the Pixel 9 Pro outlasts the rest of the Pixel family at more than 17 hours.
Connectivity: Speedier Wireless
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold enjoys a few upgrades when it comes to connectivity. First, it supports both sub-6GHz (including C-band) and mmWave 5G. It can connect to the mid-band and high-band services available from select US carriers. It also upgrades from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7, from Bluetooth 5.2 to Bluetooth 5.3, adds dual-band GNSS/GPS for better location tracking, and packs an Ultra-Wideband chip for interacting with accessories like the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
I tested the 9 Pro Fold on T-Mobile's UC network in New Jersey. In an area with strong service, the phone reached speeds as high as 1.05Gbps down as 189Mbps up. It easily outperformed the Pixel Fold when tested in the same spot, which reached 874Mbps down and 78.1Mbps up.
Wi-Fi speeds were excellent. The phone averaged 684Mbps down a 213Mbps up when held close to my home's Wi-Fi 6E router. The Pixel Fold hit similar numbers at 656Mbps down and 187Mbps up. When I moved both phones to the edge of my Wi-Fi network's range, the 9 Pro Fold's speeds dropped to 115Mbps down and 45Mbps up, while the Pixel Fold's hit 101Mbps down and 32Mbps up.
The Bluetooth radio performed well. It handled simultaneous connections to a Pixel Watch and a pair of Pixel Buds Pro, and audio quality via the headphones was quite good thanks to support for a broad range of codecs.
Speaking of audio quality, voice calls generally sounded loud and clear. The earpiece reached volumes of 72.2dB and the speakerphone hit 81.6dB. Callers I spoke to came across with clean signals and warm tones and said the same of my voice. Music pushed through the stereo speakers is decent, but falls a little flat. For example, the phone isn't able to produce much of the bass in our test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," though the mids and highs come across with nice detail. You're better off using a Bluetooth speaker if you want loud sound in your living room.
Cameras: A Multitude of Options
Google often reuses the same camera hardware and that appears to be mostly the case with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The phone has a 48MP main camera at f/1.7, a 10.5MP ultrawide camera at f/2.2, and a 10.8MP telephoto camera at f/3.1. You'll benefit from optical and electronic image stabilization on the main and ultrawide cameras, the latter of which doubles as a macro shooter for closeups. The telephoto camera features 5x optical zoom and up to 20x Super Res Zoom. The outer and inner user-facing shooters capture 10MP photos, both at f/2.2 and with an 87-degree field of view.
In general, photos taken outdoors during the day look great. There's plenty of detail, accurate colors, and solid exposure. I saw some grain in dark areas from time to time, but it wasn't too bad. The camera does a fine job of balancing bright and dark elements in photos so that both look good in your pics. Perhaps most importantly, the 9 Pro Fold balances the color and exposure from camera to camera better than most competing devices. This means photos you take with the ultrawide camera will look similar to those you take with the main and telephoto cameras.
Speaking of the telephoto camera, shots at 1x, 2x, and 5x look fantastic, with only a little bit of noise filtering in on shots captured at 5x. The 9 Pro Fold supports hybrid zoom out to 20x, and these images are impressive but begin to show pixelation and smearing, especially in low light.
The ultrawide (0.5x) is great fun for capturing wide vistas, cityscapes, or indoor shots. There is some obvious optical distortion, but it's not too bad. When used as a macro camera, the ultrawide does surprisingly well at recording color and detail (see the flower close-up below).
You can take selfies with three different sets of cameras: the outer selfie camera, the inner selfie camera, and the main camera (using the outer display as a viewfinder). If you want the highest quality shots of yourself, use the last method. Otherwise, selfies look solid across the board. The background in some shots was darker than I expected it to be, but the subject (ahem, me) looks great in all the samples below. The portrait tool also does a fine job. It's not equal to a real camera lens at wide aperture, but it's the next best thing.
The Pixel 9 Pro supports 4K video capture at 24, 30, or 60fps with any of the three rear cameras, but the front shooters offer 4K at only 30 or 60fps. Video results are mostly good. I saw a little bit more grain than I wanted to, and the dark spots visible in photos are reproduced by the video camera as well. Overall sharpness, clarity, and color are all good. It's not on the level of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, but it's not terribly far off, either.
Of course, you get access to all the same camera tricks as the other Pixel 9 phones (Add Me, Zoom Enhance, Reimagine, Auto Frame, and Night Sight Video). For a full rundown of those features, see our review of the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The 9 Pro Fold adds a couple of exclusive features of its own.
The first is called Made You Look. When using the main camera, you can entertain stubborn kids with funny animations on the outer screen. The idea is to get your kids' attention with the cartoons on the screen so they'll be looking in the general direction of the phone, and you can get your shot. It may work on very young kids, but probably not those over the age of five or six.
The second is Dual Screen Preview. Open the camera, unfold the device, select Dual Screen, and your photographic subject will see a preview of themselves on the outer display as you compose the shot. This gives them an opportunity to adjust their position or facial expression before you snap the pic. It works well.
And you can make use of the form factor itself to set the phone up as its own tripod. This lets you place the phone down and take selfies when no one else is around.
Software: Infused With AI
Like the other Pixel 9 devices, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ships with Android 14 and not Android 15, which is nearly ready for release. Google hasn't said when Android 15 will be available, but at the time of this writing, reports suggest we'll have to wait until October. Either way, Google has committed to supplying seven years of OS and security updates, the same promise made by Samsung for the Z Fold 6.
Also like the other Pixel 9 phones, Gemini AI plays a huge role in how you interact with the 9 Pro Fold. Gemini replaces Google Assistant (if you want it to) for your on-device AI helper. Gemini does many of the same things Assistant does, such as help with searches, but goes further with the ability to research destinations for a trip, write stories, learn about your favorite subject, and more. Pixel Studio (generative AI), Pixel Screenshots (screenshot cataloging and search tool), Gemini in Google Keep (list creation and management), and Gemini Live are all here, the same as the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL. These AI features work just as well on the 9 Pro Fold as on the other phones. More details about these tools are available in our review of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The Fold has a leg up on its stablemates thanks to its folding form factor. Since it can run two apps at a time on the main screen, you can launch Gemini Live in one window and most any app in the other. Using Gemini Live with another app side by side like this is extremely useful for activities like search. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gives you one year of access to Gemini Live for free, after which it will run $19.99 per month.
There are a number of software features exclusive to the 9 Pro Fold thanks to its folding shape. Dual Screen on Meet is a functional addition that helps with video calls. It allows you to use the front and inner cameras at the same time so you can show yourself and what you're looking at to the people on the other end of the call. It takes a few steps to launch, but works well enough.
There's also Dual Screen Mode for Live Transcribe. Similar to how Samsung's Z Fold 6 can run Google Translate on two screens at a time, so can the Pixel 9 Pro. This lets you show the person with whom you're conversing the written text of what you're saying while you can see the written text of what they say. Google says this is supported for up to 120 languages at launch. When tested with German, the transcriptions appeared quickly on both screens. I like that the phone can read the transcriptions out loud, too.
YouTube gets its own special split-screen powers. First, you can open the phone on a table or desk like a laptop and watch YouTube videos hands-free. The YouTube Multiview tool is more powerful. This lets YouTube TV subscribers watch up to four live streams at a time on the screen. It's geared toward sports content, so you can watch multiple games at once. We don't have a subscription to YouTube TV and were unable to test this feature.
The last thing we'll discuss here is the phone's ability to multitask. As mentioned, you can run two apps side by side on the inner screen. This is great when you need to share content between apps or reference one while working in the other. You can create app pairs (two apps that launch in this side-by-side arrangement) and save them to the home screen. This feature wasn't available to the original Pixel Fold at launch. It's not as elegant to use as the same tool on Samsung's Galaxy Z phones, but it works. Disappointingly, however, you're limited to running just two apps at a time, one on each side of the screen, plus a floating media app like YouTube or Spotify. The Z Fold 6 supports up to three plus two floating media apps. This limitation may not be a big deal to some, but others will find it frustrating.
Moreover, the Z Fold 6 supports Samsung's Dex desktop mode. With it, you can connect the phone to a monitor and access a Windows-like user interface. It's great for productivity. The Pixel 9 Pro has no such advanced productivity tools. And then there's the S Pen. Though the Z Fold 6 doesn't ship with Samsung's stylus, it supports the writing tool. For those who prefer to do things by hand, the S Pen and Z Fold 6 are a match made in productivity heaven.
The Verdict: A Smart Foldable
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an outstanding phone from top to bottom. Google has done an excellent job redesigning the hardware, which is improved in every way. The new size, shape, and weight make it easier to hold and use, the larger and brighter screens are a joy to look at, the faster Tensor G4 processor and wireless connections keep things moving, and the latest AI-assisted camera tricks are a great way to take, edit, and share your shots. As with the other Pixel 9 phones, the Gemini AI tools aren't quite fully formed, though they're miles ahead of what competing foldables offer in the way of AI. If you want a solid, AI-focused folding phone, you can't go wrong with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, those who want to put their expensive phone to more productive use should opt for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is slightly better at multitasking, has longer battery life, and supports the S Pen stylus, which makes it our Editors' Choice winner for foldables.
Google's heavily revised Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an attractive, book-style folding phone that banks on the power of Gemini AI to appeal to early adopters, but it falls just short of Samsung when it comes to productivity perks.
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