Last year’s Pixel Fold was a bold first attempt by Google to create a foldable phone, but it wasn’t perfect. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and the OnePlus Open, the Pixel Fold was shorter and wider, making it a more comfortable phone-to-tablet experience.

However, it was also much heavier than the competition, which spoiled the impression of a compact device. It looked like a passport, but felt like a Bible in the hand.

Also: How to pre-order the new Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold (and the best deals)

This year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold fixes the ergonomic issues of the original and then some. In the process, Google has also moved away from the boxier, more traditional aspect ratio to a 20:9 scale similar to the OnePlus Open. I personally know some Pixel Fold users who will be disappointed by the change, but based on my hands-on experience with the latest model, I think it’s for the better.

Add in a larger, brighter display (up to 2,700 nits at peak brightness), 16GB of RAM, the company’s latest Tensor G4 chip, and a host of AI features (since that’s a requirement for any piece of tech in 2024), and you have a contender for the best foldable phone this year.

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Note that I said “the best foldable phone” and not “the best phone overall.” That’s because I still find it hard to recommend foldable phones, with their high prices, over the more traditional iPhones, Samsung Galaxies, and even Google Pixels.

The good news is that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – with all its user-friendly upgrades this year – isn’t going up in price like the rest of the Pixel 9 series. The bad news is that it’s priced the same as its predecessor: starting at $1,799. It’s still expensive. It’s still unaffordable. If you’re considering the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, trade-in offers, carrier promotions, and holiday discounts are your best friends.

Also: Everything that was announced at Made by Google 2024

Price aside, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks to be one of the best multitasking and entertainment devices you can buy today. It helps that the internal display now measures a whopping eight inches, making it the largest phone on the market.

When I tried it out, split-screen mode and watching YouTube videos on the Super Actua Flex display was a real feast for the eyes – except for the moments when the wall-sized windows in the venue made it clear just how shiny and dazzling these flexible screens are.

I’m sure last year’s Pixel Fold would have fared worse in the same environment, as the measly up to 1,450 nits made the phone almost unusable outdoors. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets much, much brighter, and that’s something every user will appreciate.

Also: All Google Pixel 9 models in comparison: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold

The larger screen also works well with Google’s latest AI features, which include the Pixel Studio image generator, Gemini Live, and Pixel Screenshots. All three are available on the smaller, cheaper Pixel 9 models as well, but a bigger canvas for doodling, showing off, and interacting with Google’s AI features seems like the best approach. You can even run split-screen mode with Google’s Gemini chatbot and drag-and-drop files for a more collaborative experience.

Google says the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is “the thinnest foldable device you can buy,” which is true if you’re not in a market where companies like Xiaomi and Honor are present. When unfolded, the phone is about as thick as the iPhone 15 Pro, and I had no trouble holding it up when I took the photos you see in this article.

Combine the thinness with an IPX8 rating (meaning the phone is waterproof), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and a new hinge design that I’m told is more solid and does a better job of preventing internal components from coming loose, and you have a foldable phone that should be just as safe to carry as a regular handset.

Also: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Four top features that make it the foldable phone to beat

Google had a great chance to overtake its foldable counterparts in terms of camera performance, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold isn’t competitive. It has a similar 48MP main camera, 10.5MP ultrawide camera, and 10.8MP telephoto camera as its predecessor, and relies heavily on the new Tensor G4 chip – and the backend processing that comes with it – to power the photography experience. Compared to the larger, more powerful sensors on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, this feels like a disservice to users who spend at least $1,799 on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Of course, I’ll need to test the phone longer and in more conditions to see how big (or insignificant) this hardware difference is, but based on specs alone, I don’t expect Google’s most expensive phone to have the company’s best camera performance.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold can be pre-ordered starting Tuesday, August 13, in two colors: Porcelain and Obsidian, starting at $1,799 for 256GB of storage.