Google Pixel Fold

The Google Pixel Fold, launched on June 27, 2023, enters the foldable market with a unique design and the Google experience.

Build Quality

The Pixel Fold features a complex, foldable design, measuring 139.7 mm in height, 158.7 mm in width, and a slim 5.8 mm in depth when unfolded. It weighs a substantial 283 grams. The construction uses premium materials, and the device feels robust. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor handles biometric security. It is available in Obsidian and Porcelain color options. The hinge mechanism feels smooth and allows the device to stay at various angles, providing flexibility in use.

Screen Quality

The primary display is a 7.6-inch Foldable OLED panel with a resolution of 2208 x 1840 pixels, translating to a pixel density of 378 ppi. It boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and high brightness levels of 1000 nits (HBM) and 1450 nits (peak), offering vivid colors, deep blacks, and smooth animations. The cover screen is a 5.8-inch OLED with 1080 x 2092 pixel resolution at a 406 ppi pixel density, a 120Hz refresh rate and 1500 nits peak brightness. It's protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and provides a 16:9 aspect ratio. This external display has a hole-punch notch and also offers HDR10 support, a 1000000:1 contrast ratio, and features like Always-On Display and DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.

Camera Performance

The Pixel Fold has a versatile triple-camera setup on the rear. The main camera is a 48MP standard lens with an f/1.7 aperture and 0.80µm pixel size. It is complemented by a 10.8MP ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 10.8MP telephoto lens with an f/3.0 aperture. This setup enables 5x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom. The camera system captures 4K video at up to 60fps with HDR and supports 1080p recording up to 240fps with HDR. Video recording also benefits from Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). A single 8MP selfie camera with an f/1.9 aperture is included on the inner display. Extra camera features include a 9.5MP external camera, laser autofocus and 4K time-lapse with stabilization. The device achieves a DXOMARK Mobile score of 133, with 137 for photo and 131 for video.

Software Experience

The Pixel Fold ships with Android 13, with an upgrade to Android 14 available. The device will likely receive timely updates due to its first-party nature. The software experience is optimized for the foldable form factor, taking advantage of the large display with enhanced multitasking and app continuity between the inner and outer screens. The UI is clean, intuitive, and free of bloatware, offering a pure Android experience.

Battery Performance

The Pixel Fold houses a 4821 mAh Li-Polymer battery. It supports 30W fast charging, replenishing the battery relatively quickly. The device's power efficiency will depend on usage patterns, particularly with the large, high-refresh-rate display. It lacks wireless charging.

Value for Money

The Pixel Fold is positioned as a medium-priced device within the foldable category. Available storage options include a 12GB/256GB configuration and a 12GB/512GB model. Prices vary by region and retailer, with reported ranges including $617.99, $949.72 and $1,277.80 for the 12GB/512GB configuration depending on the specific region and retailer. Given the foldable display and Google's software integration, the device offers a unique user experience but comes at a premium over conventional smartphones. The device utilizes the Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) chipset, offering an octa-core processor with 2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 cores, 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 cores and 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The GPU is a Mali-G710 MP7. Connectivity features include NFC, USB Type-C 3.2 with OTG and comprehensive 5G, 4G LTE, 3G and 2G band support. It includes Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 LE, and robust GPS capabilities.