Google has a new foldable device on the market, the second generation one. This one is quite different from the Pixel Fold, the company’s very first foldable smartphone. Not only is it more powerful, but Google has also changed the design significantly, including the aspect ratio of the device. It feels completely different. We will compare the two smartphones in this article, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Google Pixel Fold.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold may be Google’s shiny new foldable device, but many people still believe there are better foldable offerings out there. We haven’t fully tested the Pixel 9 Pro Fold at this point, but our review is coming soon. We already have quite a bit of information about the device, so let’s see how it compares to its predecessor. We’ll start by listing the specs of both smartphones, then compare them in a number of categories.

Technical data

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold or Google Pixel Fold

– Screen Size (Main):
8-inch foldable LTPO OLED display (120 Hz, HDR10+, 2,700 nits)
7.6-inch foldable OLED display (120 Hz, HDR10+, 1,450 nits)
– Screen size (coverage):
6.3-inch OLED (120 Hz, 2,700 nits)
5.8 inch OLED (120 Hz)
– Screen Resolution (Main):
2076×2152
1840×2208
– Screen resolution (cover):
2424×1080
2092×1080
– SoC:
Google TensorG4
Google TensorG2
– R.A.M.:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB (LPDDR5)
– storage:
256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear view cameras:
48 MP (wide angle, aperture f/1.7, OIS), 10.8 MP (ultra wide angle, 127-degree field of view), 10.5 MP (telephoto lens, 5x optical zoom, OIS)
48 MP (wide angle, aperture f/1.7, OIS), 10.8 MP (ultra wide angle, 121-degree field of view), 10.8 MP (telephoto lens, 5x optical zoom, OIS)
– Front cameras:
10 MP (main display, f/2.2 aperture), 10 MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
8 MP (main display, f/2.0 aperture), 9.5 MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
– battery:
4,650mAh
4,805mAh
– Load:
21W wired, 7.5W wireless (no charger)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
155.2×150.2×5.1mm
153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm
– Dimensions (folded):
155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5mm
139.7×79.5×12.1mm
– Weight:
257 grams
283 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, WiFi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/5.2
– Security:
Side fingerprint scanner
– Operating system:
Android14
Android 13 (updatable)
– Price:
From $1,799
From $1,799
– Buy:
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Best Buy)
Google Pixel Fold (Best Buy)

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Google Pixel Fold: Design

Both smartphones are made of metal and glass. However, they have completely different aspect ratios. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is taller and narrower. The Pixel Fold is significantly shorter and wider. This applies to both the folded and unfolded form. The first generation model is also significantly heavier at 283 grams than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold at 257 grams. In addition, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also significantly thinner.

Both smartphones have a centered hole for the display camera on their cover displays. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also has one on the main display, while the Pixel Fold hides one in its bezels. The bezels around the main displays are thinner on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. They are also uniform, unlike those on the Pixel Fold. These two smartphones are both quite slippery and feel completely different in the hand.

They both have pretty noticeable camera bumps on the back, while their shapes are slightly different. The same goes for their design. Both smartphones are IPX8 certified, which means they are waterproof. Both smartphones feel like high-quality engineering in the hand. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold actually seems more refined. Another detail worth mentioning is that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a less noticeable display crease, but not to the level of some offerings from China.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Google Pixel Fold: Advertisement

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold features an 8-inch foldable LTPO OLED main display with 2076 x 2152 pixels. This panel has an adaptive refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz. It supports HDR content and its brightness is up to 2,700 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is about 89%. The cover display measures 6.3 inches and is an OLED panel. It has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and supports HDR content. The resolution here is 2424 x 1080 and the display aspect ratio is 20:9. This panel is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The peak brightness is 2,700 nits.

The Google Pixel Fold, on the other hand, has a 7.6-inch OLED display with 1840 x 2208 pixels. This panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz and supports HDR content. Its peak brightness is 1,450 nits while the screen-to-body ratio is around 83%. The resolution here is 1840 x 2208. The cover display measures 5.8 inches and offers a resolution of 2092 x 1080. This is an OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. HDR content is supported while the Gorilla Glass Victus protects this display. The screen-to-body ratio is 17.4:9 while the peak brightness is 1,550 nits.

All four displays are good, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has the edge in several ways. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s displays are brighter, and the main display has a less noticeable crease compared to the Pixel Fold’s main panel. However, all four displays are quite vibrant and offer good viewing angles. Additionally, touch response is good on all of them, while blacks are deep.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Google Pixel Fold: Performance

Google’s brand new foldable device is powered by the Google Tensor G4 processor, which is a 4nm chip. This phone packs 16GB of RAM, although we’re not sure if it’s LPDDR5X or LPDDR5 RAM. Other Pixel 9 phones pack LPDDR5X, so hopefully this one will too. It also uses UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Pixel Fold, on the other hand, is powered by the Tensor G2 chip, which is a 5nm processor. This smartphone packs 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.

Now, the Tensor G4 chip isn’t much more powerful than the Tensor G2. Next year’s Tensor G5 is supposed to be a big leap and will be manufactured by TSMC: Still, the Tensor G4 brings a performance boost and, most importantly, a much better modem. That should help with both signal strength and battery life. In terms of general performance, both smartphones do a very good job.

We noticed that both are snappy when opening apps and general smartphone usage. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold does have an edge, though, as it does open apps a little faster at times. Both are good at multitasking, and the same goes for multimedia consumption, browsing, messaging, etc. They do a great job on those fronts. Where neither phone shines is under very heavy loads. While they can play demanding games, it’s not the best experience, so if you’re a gamer, you might want to look elsewhere, as the Tensor G3 and G4 chips aren’t made for gaming.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Google Pixel Fold: Battery

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 4,650mAh battery inside. The Pixel Fold has a 4,821mAh battery. So the new phone has a smaller battery despite having larger displays. It’s not exactly Google’s best move, but that’s the way it is. We haven’t really been able to fully test the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s battery life yet, but the Pixel Fold did well in that regard.

There are foldables that offer much larger batteries than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and have similar display sizes. This makes us a little concerned about battery life. Of course, lifespan also depends a lot on how often you use the main display. If you don’t use it that much, battery life is significantly better. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. Check back soon, because our review is coming.

In terms of charging, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports 21W wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging. The same is actually true for the Pixel Fold. Google hasn’t improved the charging on the new phone. The company also recommends using its own 45W charger to charge these devices. However, that’s not necessary as it supports both PD3.0 and PPS protocols, so you can easily use a compatible third-party charger.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Google Pixel Fold: Cameras

Both smartphones have five cameras, three of which are on the back. Google hasn’t made any significant changes to the cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, in fact, some of them are identical to those on the Pixel Fold. A 48-megapixel main camera (f/1.7 aperture, 0.8 µm pixel size, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS) is the same on both smartphones. The same goes for a 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera (f/3.1 aperture, 112 mm lens, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom).

The ultra-wide cameras on the back seem a little different, but only a little. On the back of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you’ll find a 10.5-megapixel unit (f/2.2 aperture, 127-degree field of view, 1/3.4-inch camera sensor). On the Pixel Fold, you’ll find a 10.8-megapixel ultra-wide unit (f/2.2 aperture, 121-degree field of view, 1/3.0-inch sensor, 1.25-µm pixel size). The front-facing units are also quite similar. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has two 10-megapixel units, which are the same. The Pixel Fold, on the other hand, has 8- and 9.5-megapixel cameras.

We took some pictures with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but we can’t draw any conclusions yet. No, the camera performance doesn’t seem as good as the other Pixel 9 phones, but that was to be expected. In fact, the images seem pretty similar to those of the Pixel Fold. You still get high-contrast images with vibrant colors, but the quality isn’t up to the level of the Pixel 9 series. However, considering the camera quality of the book-style foldable, it’s quite good.

Audio

Stereo speakers are present on both phones. Our verdict will be reserved for the full Pixel 9 Pro Fold review, but from first impressions, the output doesn’t seem too different from the Pixel Fold.

Neither phone has an audio jack, but you can always plug your wired headphones into the Type-C ports if you want. Alternatively, both of these smartphones support Bluetooth 5.3 and 5.2.