Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review: AI and stock Android goodness in folding form

Google's latest attempt in the foldable space is sure to impress. But can it justify the high price tag?

• By Abhik Sengupta
Published On: 16 September 2024 | 11:30 IST

Google is pulling out all the stops with this year’s Pixel Fold iteration. From its new name scheme and revamped design to expanding availability in India, it’s evident that Google aims to establish itself as a formidable player in the premium and ultra-premium market, traditionally dominated by Apple and Samsung.

And believe me, with the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold, it almost nails it. However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, at Rs 1,72,999, is also the most expensive foldable with 256GB storage in India. The OnePlus Open (review) with 1TB storage and the same 16GB RAM configuration is available for Rs 23,000 cheaper. Even the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (review) with the same storage configuration costs Rs 1,64,999.

Can the Pixel 9 Pro Fold meet this high price tag and expectations that come with it? Let’s find out.

Verdict

With the latest Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Google has expanded all its AI and Android goodness in a much more refined folding form factor. It’s also good to see the direction it’s heading with a bigger display and a friendlier aspect ratio. However, at Rs 1,72,999, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold remains the most expensive foldable in India with 256GB storage. In that case, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a more value-for-money option, which offers equally impressive, if not better, AI features.

Design and display

Compared to last year’s Pixel Fold, the new Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is noticeably bigger. Google has also done a fantastic job with the phone’s slim profile, which provides a comfortable grip.

There’s no compromise in the build quality as the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels sturdy with its “aerospace” metal frame and edges. The back incorporates Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 with a polished matte finish, effectively hiding fingerprint smudges.

However, the outer display, which gets the same Gorilla Glass protection, attracts fingerprints and can be tiresome to clean. I recommend adding an extra layer of protective screen (hopefully available at your local store) since Gorilla Glass Victus 2 can be prone to scratch marks, especially if you carry the phone and car keys in the same pocket. Google has also not provided a protective case in the box.

I reviewed the Obsidian colour option, which appears to be the only variant available on Flipkart. I like the colour, though I prefer the white option better.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also gets a different rear camera module, unlike the spread-out visor design on the original Pixel Fold and last year’s Pixel 8 series. I appreciate the new rectangular casing housing the triple cameras for its cleaner and minimalist appeal. Notably, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold skips the temperature sensor, available on the Pixel 9 Pro XL (review).

Google has also skipped the super-fast ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner and instead leveraged a traditional side-mounted scanner on the power button for its latest Pixel foldable. The ports and button selection (including the volume rocker, USB-C port, and single SIM card tray) remain the same. The OnePlus Open is ahead of the competition by providing an alert slider and IR blaster. The same alert slider to adjust the sound profile on the go also features on the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (review).Moving to the display(s), the cover screen now provides a wider viewing area of 6.3 inches. Its 20:9 aspect ratio allows you to use the phone like any other regular device when folded. Using apps like Slack, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube on the cover screen feels natural, which is great since users will likely spend a lot of time on this screen. The cover display doesn’t have the slimmest bezels, but personally, it didn’t bother me.

When unfolded, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold still offers a large tablet-like viewing area, measuring almost 8 inches. Using the main display can be a blessing if you enjoy reading or watching videos on your smartphone. In my case, I love using Google Sheets on a spacious display. Even for productivity, the split screen feature that works via simple drag and drop adds versatility to the overall user experience. Google still hasn’t managed to reduce the centre crease like OnePlus, though it has personally never bothered me.

Both displays utilise an OLED panel for a punchy and colourful viewing experience. Combined with full HD+ resolution (1,080 x 2,424 pixels for the cover and 2,076 x 2,152 for the main display), up to 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR support, the display experience is as good as it can get.

However, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 delivered the brightest display output in my test for both front and inner displays. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro came close to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, resulting in almost a tie for second place. The OnePlus Open offered respectable brightness, though it lagged behind its peers.

Performance and software

While there’s a significant improvement in the design and display, the overall use experience is more or less similar between the regular Pixels and the Pixel foldable. It is not necessarily bad since the stock Android OS allows heaps of customisations. Needless to say, you get access to Google-developed Android features before others.

Being a Pixel device, you can enjoy all the Gemini goodies, plus a one-year free subscription to Gemini Advanced and 2TB cloud storage. Of course, Google addresses the longevity by promising seven years of Android and security updates. For daily work, I did not encounter major lags or issues with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The heating issue I noticed during my Pixel 9 Pro XL review isn’t prominent here. Even switching between apps was smooth and the split screen mode ran without stutters. The biggest problem you might face is adjusting some apps’ interface from the default to full screen manually in the settings to get the best experience on the large screen. You may also notice underwhelming optimisation with select games, as I did with Pokémon Unite and GTA San Andreas (Netflix). However, this may not be a significant issue since foldables are primarily designed for productivity-focused customers. To be fair, this is also an issue from the developer side, though Google could always offer some AI magic for upscaling. Based on our benchmarks, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, with 16GB RAM, 256GB storage, and Tensor G4 SoC, achieves respectable scores. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC powering Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro are ahead of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in benchmarks, like Geekbench, AnTuTu, and CPU Throttle. Even the gaming experience was good, if not better. As I mentioned, there could be optimisation-related issues, especially when you switch from the main to the cover display or vice versa. I also faced a few mistouch problems while playing GTA San Andreas linked with my Netflix account.

AI features

I would’ve preferred if Google sold the phone with Android 15 directly out of the box. Still, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will surely impress with all the new AI features.

You can create images with simple text prompts with Pixel Studio, which seems to be a great party trick if you’re flaunting your shiny new Pixel to others. The new Screenshots app remains my favourite, and it can help you even locate the source of the screenshot taken on Pinterest or Instagram. The Gemini app remains useful for sorting emails or quickly making changes to the calendar with voice or text commands. The new Gemini Live is an ideal tool for conversational learning with AI, making new topics more engaging. There’s also “Circle to Search”, which takes Google Lens to the next level.

However, I still believe Samsung has done a better job incorporating AI into its proprietary keyboard and browser, allowing users to get AI-generated summaries of texts and web pages in seconds. It’s only a matter of time before Google expands AI to Gboard and Chrome for Android. There are some playful AI features for the Camera app and Photos. I will talk about them in detail in the next section.

Cameras

Interestingly, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold appears to be behind the Pixel 9 Pro XL or even the more affordable Pixel 9 (review) based on the numbers and megapixels. Sure, there’s a 10.8MP telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom, though the other Pro models include a 48MP telephoto snapper. Its 10.5MP ultra-wide camera may also appear modest in front of the Pixel 9 Pro(s)’ 48MP ultra-wide shooters. There are two 10MP selfie cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with auto-focus capabilities.

However, Google rarely boasts about hardware and relies on software for all the computational magic, which applies to the last Pixel foldable. The images, whether in bright or dim conditions, offer good colours and high contrast for a dramatic appeal. Photos with human subjects also tend to include low noise and a shallow depth of field, making them more social media-ready. The dynamic range can be slightly inconsistent, though the native editing tools can help balance out the photos. Photos with the ultra-wide camera maintain a similar colour science, which I am sure customers will enjoy.

However, the telephoto camera struggled during my review, both in terms of colours and details. Just to be clear, the images aren’t bad, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s competitors seem to do a better job. When previewing images with the selfie camera on the two displays, they appear with softer details. However, once you click the photos, software tweaks like Google Real Tone technology help maintain accurate skin tones.I also compared the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s cameras against Galaxy Z Fold 6, Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, and OnePlus Open, and here’s what I found.

Daylight and lowlight

I took these shots outdoors, though not in ideal daylight conditions due to the Delhi monsoons. There’s an evident difference between Google and Samsung’s photos. Aesthetically, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s image may look more pleasing with vivid colours. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers better details, especially if you zoom into the text on the slide. On the other hand, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro does the best job in terms of colour and details. The OnePlus Open is on par with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, though its details remain sketchy.

In lowlight conditions, all four smartphones struggle with softer details, at least in the photos below. Google and Samsung mostly detected accurate colours, though the latter did a better job capturing the right shade of the sky. Vivo’s image may appear more pleasing with boosted colours and overall brightness. The OnePlus struggled to balance the dynamic range.

Ultra-wide

All four smartphones maintain a similar colour science with their respective ultra-wide camera. Each foldable does a decent job of smoothening the edges as well.

However, all devices struggle with details, at least when the subject is at a distance. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro again provides a pleasing bright output. Details captured by the Galaxy Z Fold 6 were relatively better.

Telephoto

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold utilises the telephoto camera for anything beyond 5x zoom. For shots with 5x optical zoom, both the primary and telephoto cameras are used.

I took shots at 20x, which is the maximum the Pixel phone can support, but not its rivals. Surprisingly, all smartphones captured similar tones with mostly the same details. However, as you zoom in, the camera can become unstable, and you may need steady hands for a clear shot. In that case, Vivo offered the best handling at 20x zoom.

Portrait and selfies

There can be a significant difference once a human subject is involved, and each phone has its strengths and weaknesses.

Google and Samsung excel in accurately detecting the subject’s complexion, while Vivo and OnePlus offer excellent edge detection and bokeh effects in f/2.0 portrait mode.
I noticed a similar approach with selfies with the cover screen camera. All four foldable phones let you take selfies with the primary camera while offering a preview on the outer display.
In low light with night mode enabled, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers the best results.

Videos

For videos, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports recording at up to 4K60fps, while it reserves 8K recording on the Pixel 9 Pros. I generally enjoy shooting videos with Pixel phones as the cameras tend to capture boosted colours but with incredible stability. The video quality is good enough for social media uploads.

Google has also expanded my favourite video features, including Audio Boost and Enhanced (available under Edits in Photos), to provide a studio-like finesse.

AI features

However, Google differentiates its smartphones from others with a host of AI-backed camera features to make the overall user experience more fun.

I already mentioned the “Add Me” feature, which is more of a party trick (fun nonetheless) for your social media.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers an exclusive feature called “Made you look” which relays cute animated characters on the cover screen to grab your infant’s attention for photos. Other features include Magic Editor and the “refined selection”, which can even change the scene based on your text prompts.

Battery and charging

Similar to its camera specs, the battery features get slightly toned down. In fact, Google has opted for a smaller 4,650mAh battery as compared to the 4,821mAh on the original Pixel Fold. The smaller battery is likely due to capping the weight and thickness.

Overall, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is capable of providing an all-day battery with the highest settings enabled (5G, Bluetooth, AOD, and 120Hz refresh rate). If you disable these settings, you can expect a relatively longer backup. Its PC Mark battery test results are decent too.
However, the biggest drawback of Pixel phones, including Pixel 9 Pro Fold, remains the slow charging support. The phone provides 21W wired and 12W wireless (Qi-certified). We used a 65W GaN charger and the phone took nearly 80 minutes to go from 20 to 100.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers the fastest charging speed in the foldable space, supporting 100W charging. It only takes 36 minutes to attain a full charge in tests.

Final verdict

Despite some hardware quirks, Google’s latest attempt in the foldable segment is commendable. With a bigger display, more years of OS updates, and some new AI features, it seems to be heading in the right direction. It’s safe to say that I am already excited about the next Pixel Fold iteration whenever Google decides to launch that.

Based on our comparisons and my overall experience, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold excels in areas such as display, design, and software. The camera performance is also good. However, Google must consider thoughtful pricing, not just for the latest foldable, but across its products, especially in a country where rivals like Samsung and Apple have a proven record in the ultra-premium segment. An aggressive pricing will surely give it an edge as well.

If money is not an issue and you want to enjoy the full-stock Android experience and Google’s software excellence in a sleek, foldable form factor, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is sure to impress.

Editor’s rating: 8 / 10

Reasons to buy:

• The Pixel 9 Pro XL features a highly premium and sleek design.
• The cover display offers good colours and an app-friendly aspect ratio.
• There are loads of fun AI-backed camera features.
• It is promised seven years of Android OS updates.

Reasons not to buy:

• The Pixel 9 Pro is pricey.
• Its telephoto camera needs improvement.
• The charging speed is extremely slow.

Tested by: Ujjwal Sharma and Gaurav Sharma