Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold in for review
It's Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold time, folks! Google's first foldable, the aptly named Pixel Fold was interesting for being first but ultimately proved too rare and slightly weird. Google's second attempt - the Pixel 9 Pro Fold - could easily be your best choice of book-style foldable at the time of this article.
Despite its exorbitant price tag of â¬1,899, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts at just 256GB and ships with only a USB cable. But that's the accessory situation with the Galaxy Z Fold6 as well.
You can pick up this original case from Google for an extra â¬60.
So what's so good about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold? In the hand, it's very sturdy and fills you with the feel of robustness and good craftsmanship. It's also nicely tout and flat - closing tightly and without a gap.
Inside, there's hardly a noticeable crease in the folding screen. One thing that makes the Pixel 9 Pro Fold excellent for the category is its aspect ratios. The cover display is a 6.3-inch panel with a regular 20:9 aspect ratio. Inside is a large 8.0-inch unit with a 1:1 ratio that's perfect for reading or viewing two apps side-by-side.
Google clearly saw Oppo's Find N3 (globally known as the OnePlus Open) as a good blueprint for this type of device. Put side-by-side, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is slightly taller and wider, and in the hand, it's heftier as well.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold6 is a bit infamous these days for its insistence on the narrower cover screen aspect ratio. It's not as comfortable to use as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold but it does allow for a much smaller and lighter device - the Galaxy Z Fold6 is 18g lighter.
Here's a look at Google's entire Pixel 9 lineup. Interestingly, apart from the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL, the rest of the series is 6.3-inch. From left to right we have the Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
We'll take our time with this review as there's a lot to go over, but expect a detailed comparison with the Galaxy Z Fold6 at some point too!