Smartphone Comparison: Samsung Galaxy A32 5G vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
1. Specifications Comparison
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | |||
| Form Factor | Standard | Foldable | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers a larger screen that can be folded for better portability, while the A32 5G is a standard smartphone. |
| Dimensions | 164.2 × 76.1 × 9.1 mm | 155.2 × 150.2 × 5.1 mm | A32 5G is taller and thicker, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is wider when unfolded and thinner. Pixel Fold offers a large screen experience when unfolded and compact form when folded. |
| Weight | 205g | 257g | The A32 5G is lighter and easier to hold for extended periods, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is heavier due to its foldable design. |
| Display | |||
| Size | 6.5" | 8" | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold provides a significantly larger display, offering a more immersive experience for media consumption and multitasking. |
| Resolution | 720x1600 | 2076x2152 | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a much sharper display, offering crisper visuals and text compared to the A32 5G, which has a lower resolution. |
| PPI | 270 | 373 | The higher pixel density on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold leads to a sharper and more detailed display compared to the A32 5G, resulting in a noticeably clearer picture. |
| Technology | TFT LCD | The A32 5G uses TFT LCD technology; the display technology on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is not specified, making it impossible to determine which has the better display technology. | |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's 120Hz refresh rate offers smoother scrolling and animations compared to the A32 5G's 60Hz refresh rate, resulting in a more responsive and fluid user experience. |
| Brightness | 0 nits | 0 nits | Both phones have identical peak brightness. This makes it impossible to determine which phone has better outdoor visibility. |
| Performance | |||
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 720 (7 nm) | Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's newer chipset (4nm) offers significantly faster processing and improved efficiency compared to the A32 5G's chipset (7nm). This translates into faster app loading and smoother multitasking. |
| Antutu Score | 249,720 | 1,140,000 | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold exhibits significantly superior performance for gaming and demanding applications, with more future-proof performance compared to the A32 5G. |
| GPU | Mali-G57 MC3 | Mali-G715 MC7 | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's GPU provides better graphics performance, leading to smoother gaming experience with more complex graphics, compared to the A32 5G. |
| Battery | |||
| Capacity | 5000mAh | 4650mAh | The A32 5G has a slightly larger battery, potentially offering marginally longer battery life than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, although real-world use may vary depending on usage patterns. |
| Charging | 15W fast charging | 27W fast charging | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has faster charging capability, reducing the time needed to recharge the device. |
| Features | Non-removable | Non-removable, 7.5W wireless charging | Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports wireless charging, which can be more convenient, while both phones have non-removable batteries. |
| Camera | |||
| Main Camera | 48MP, f/1.8 | 48MP, f/1.7 | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a slightly wider aperture, which could result in slightly better low-light performance. |
| Selfie Camera | 13MP, f/2.2 | 10MP, f/2.2 | The A32 5G has a slightly higher megapixel count for the selfie camera, potentially resulting in slightly more detailed selfies, while both share the same aperture. |
| Telephoto | Not Present | 10.8MP, f/3.0 | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a dedicated telephoto lens, providing optical zoom capabilities and superior zoomed photos, absent in the A32 5G. |
| Wide Angle | 8MP, f/2.2 | 10.5MP, f/2.2 | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a slightly higher megapixel count, potentially resulting in slightly more detailed wide-angle photos compared to A32 5G, which share the same aperture. |
| Portrait Mode (depth) | 2MP, f/2.4 | Not Present | The A32 5G has a dedicated depth sensor for improved portrait mode photos which lacks in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. |
| Macro lens | 5MP, f/2.4 | Not Present | The A32 5G has a dedicated macro lens for close-up shots which lacks in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. |
| Video Recording | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps | Up to 4K@60fps with HDR, OIS, EIS | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers more advanced video recording features like HDR, OIS, EIS, and higher frame rates, resulting in better video quality, especially in varying lighting conditions. |
| DxOMark Score | Not Tested | 141 (Mobile) | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has been tested and received a score of 141 on DxOMark, indicating that it can be ranked for photo and video quality while A32 5G has not. |
| Software | |||
| OS | Android 11 (max 13) | Android 14 (max 21) | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a newer version of Android, offering access to newer features, better security, and performance improvements compared to the A32 5G. |
| Connectivity | |||
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6E | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports faster Wi-Fi speeds and is more reliable in crowded networks with support of 6E and WiFi MiMO. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 LE | Bluetooth 5.3 LE | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a newer Bluetooth version for better power efficiency, connection stability and supports additional audio codecs. |
| GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, Galileo, NavIC, GNSS | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has support for more satellite systems leading to more accurate positioning in more locations. |
| SIM | Dual Nano SIM | Dual Nano SIM + eSIM | Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports eSIM allowing for more flexible connectivity plans; A32 5G supports two physical SIMs simultaneously. |
| Storage | |||
| Internal | 64/128GB | 256/512GB | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold provides significantly more storage for apps, photos, and media, while the A32 5G has less. |
| RAM | 4/6/8GB | 16GB | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has much more RAM for smoother multitasking and better performance in demanding applications than the A32 5G. |
| Expandable | No | No | Neither phone offers expandable storage, so users are limited to the onboard storage for each device. |
| Audio | |||
| Quality | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus | Noise cancellation microphone, Stereo Speakers, 3 microphones | Pixel 9 Pro Fold has better audio quality during calls and for media; while A32 5G offers audio enhancements with Dolby technology. |
| Security | |||
| Features | Side-mounted fingerprint | Side-mounted fingerprint | Both phones provide biometric security with a fingerprint sensor. |
| Build Quality | |||
| Protection | Unknown | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a superior glass protection of the screen than the A32 5G. |
| Sensors | |||
| Sensors | Fingerprint, Proximity, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic | Fingerprint, Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Barometer, Hall, Magnetometer | The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers a more comprehensive suite of sensors for advanced functionality such as accurate orientation and environmental data, while the A32 5G has basic sensors. |
2. Key Differences Analysis
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Advantages:
- Lighter and More Compact: The A32 5G is significantly lighter (205g vs 257g) and has a more compact form, making it more comfortable for one-handed use and portability.
- Larger Battery: It has a slightly larger battery (5000mAh vs 4650mAh), potentially leading to slightly longer battery life, although this may be minor.
- Dedicated Portrait and Macro lenses: It has dedicated 2MP Portrait and 5MP macro lens for specialized photo capabilities, something which is lacking in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Advantages:
- Foldable Display: Its foldable design offers a significantly larger display (8" vs 6.5") when unfolded, which is ideal for media consumption, multitasking, and gaming and transforms into a more compact form when folded.
- Superior Performance: The Tensor G4 chipset and more RAM result in significantly better performance, smoother multitasking, and better gaming.
- Significantly Better Display: The Pixel Fold has a much higher resolution, pixel density, and refresh rate resulting in much sharper, smoother images compared to A32 5G.
- More Advanced Camera System: Includes a telephoto lens for better zoom, better video recording with OIS/EIS and a significantly better main sensor.
- Faster Charging and Wireless Charging: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has faster charging speed and supports wireless charging, which offers greater convenience.
- Newer Software: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold runs on a newer Android version (14 vs 11) with a promise of more updates and better feature availability.
- Better Connectivity: Supports newer Wi-Fi standards and Bluetooth versions, leading to better speeds, reliability, and audio quality and has a more accurate GPS.
- More Storage: Offers much higher storage capacities (256/512 GB vs 64/128 GB) and more RAM (16 GB vs 4/6/8 GB).
- Better Build Quality: Has a superior glass protection on screen.
- Superior Audio: Offers better audio quality during calls and for media with noise cancellation microphones, and stereo speakers
Trade-offs:
- The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is much heavier and more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G. It also lacks the dedicated portrait and macro lenses offered by A32 5G.
- The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G has weaker performance, a lower-resolution screen, and a less versatile camera setup compared to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
3. User Profiles & Recommendations
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G:
- Ideal User: Budget-conscious users who prioritize basic smartphone functionality, a lightweight design, and a longer-lasting battery. Great for basic social media, browsing, calls, and light gaming. Ideal for users who prefer a standard smartphone design.
- Use Cases:
- Everyday communication and browsing
- Basic photography and social media sharing
- Users who require a more compact and lighter device.
- Users who are on a tight budget.
- Users who require dedicated portrait and macro lenses.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold:
- Ideal User: Power users, professionals, and tech enthusiasts who want the best performance, a large and versatile display, and high-end photography capabilities. Ideal for those who value cutting-edge tech and are willing to pay a premium for it. Great for multitasking, gaming, and media consumption.
- Use Cases:
- Multitasking on a large screen for productivity tasks
- High-fidelity gaming with complex graphics
- Professional photography and videography.
- Mobile content creators and media consumption enthusiasts.
- Users who require the latest version of Android and frequent software updates
- Users who want the most advanced connectivity.
4. Decision Framework
Key Questions for Buyers:
- What is your budget? The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is much more expensive, which is a very important factor.
- How important is screen size, quality and foldable form factor? The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a much larger and better screen with a foldable design.
- How much do you care about performance? The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has much better performance, which will be a key factor for heavy users and gamers.
Scenario-Based Recommendations:
- Budget-Conscious User: Choose the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G for basic smartphone needs and if the user is on a strict budget and does not need high-end features.
- Power User/Content Creator: Select the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold for the best performance, large immersive display, better camera capabilities, and if budget is not a primary concern.
- Frequent Multitasker/Gamer: Opt for the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold due to its superior performance and larger screen, also for the higher refresh rate for a smooth gaming experience.
- Basic User: The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is the better option. It offers a more convenient and lighter device for everyday use, and a dedicated macro and depth camera which the Pixel Fold does not have.
- Users who value audio quality: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the better option.
My Choice
If I had to choose, I would pick the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, despite its higher cost. The superior performance, significantly better display quality, more versatile camera system with telephoto, and the innovative foldable form factor make it a more compelling option for my needs. I value the large screen for multitasking and media consumption, the more advanced camera system for high-quality photos and videos, and the superior performance for running demanding applications. While the A32 5G is a good phone at a lower price point, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold aligns more closely with what I seek in a smartphone for both productivity and entertainment. The benefits the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers such as the superior display, performance, camera capabilities, and connectivity, outweigh the cost premium that comes with it.
