Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: A Comprehensive Review
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Introduction
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is here, making a splash in the foldable smartphone market. Priced at £1,749, this device comes with upgraded specs compared to its predecessor, the Pixel Fold. But how does it stack up against one of its biggest competitors, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6? In this comprehensive review, we'll delve into the design, display, camera capabilities, performance, and more to help you decide if the Pixel 9 Pro Fold deserves a spot in your pocket.
What's in the Box
When you unbox the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you'll find:
- One Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold device
- USB Type-C charging cable
- Warranty information
- A SIM pin tool
This is a pretty standard offering and mirrors the unboxing experience of its competitors.
Design and Build Quality
A Fresh Yet Familiar Look
The design of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a more traditional smartphone aspect ratio compared to the original Pixel Fold. With dimensions and weight that resemble a full-sized slab, it weighs 257 grams, making it heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. Here are some notable design points:
- Color Options: Available in only two colors, Porcelain (White) and Obsidian (Black).
- Materials: Constructed from Gorilla Glass Victus 2, ensuring durability against scratches and drops.
- Water Resistance: IPX8 rating for water resistance; can be submerged in water for an hour.
Comparison with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
- Thickness and Weight: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is slightly thicker due to its design features, but it offers a solid build.
- Bezels: Noticeable bezels compared to the sleeker design of the Z Fold 6.
Display
Primary Displays
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 6.3-inch FHD+ OLED, 1080 x 2424 resolution, with a brightness of up to 2700 nits.
- Galaxy Z Fold 6: 6.2-inch AMOLED, slightly higher resolution and refresh rates.
The Pixel's display is known for great color output and visibility in daylight, ideally suited for content consumption and web browsing.
Internal Displays
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 8-inch squared internal OLED screen with a resolution of 2076 x 2152 pixels.
- Galaxy Z Fold 6: 7.6-inch internal AMOLED display with a slightly different aspect ratio.
Both devices sport a crease, but Google has improved the visibility and overall brightness levels of the Pixel display.
Performance
Processing Power
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is powered by Google's Tensor G4 chipset, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 utilizes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Here’s how they perform:
- Everyday Use: Both devices manage general tasks smoothly, but the Pixel showed some strain during gaming, particularly in graphic-intensive situations.
- Battery Life: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 4,650 mAh battery, lasting impressively long, even with heavy usage. In comparison, the Z Fold 6 has a smaller 4,400 mAh battery.
Charging
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 21W wired charging, with some issues reported regarding wireless charging connectivity.
- Galaxy Z Fold 6: Slightly faster 25W charging, generally more reliable in wireless charging scenarios.
Camera Capabilities
Rear Cameras
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 48 MP main camera, ultra-wide 10.5 MP, and 10.8 MP telephoto.
- Galaxy Z Fold 6: 50 MP main camera, 12 MP ultra-wide, and 10 MP telephoto.
Image quality is phenomenal on both devices, with the Pixel being more consistent in color accuracy, while the Galaxy tends to enhance colors.
Video Recording
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 4K video recording, but lacks features like 8K that the Z Fold 6 offers.
- Galaxy Z Fold 6: More robust video features with 8K recording capability, plus additional pro mode options.
Software Experience
Both devices run on Android 14, but the software experiences vary significantly:
- Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Offers a cleaner, stock Android experience without extra bloatware.
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Comes with Samsung’s own features like SmartThings, Bixby, and Samsung Wallet that can feel cluttered.
Conclusion
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an impressive contender in the foldable smartphone arena, with notable improvements in display technology, battery life, and overall design. However, it does face serious competition from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which offers a more mature design and camera experience.
When deciding between these two powerful devices, consider what aspects are most important to you. Whether it’s camera quality, gaming performance, or the software experience, both devices have strengths worth considering. Ultimately, the decision between the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will hinge on personal preferences and how you plan to use your foldable smartphone.
Stay tuned for more updates and reviews on the latest bendy tech! Cheers!
so Google's second bendy blower is finally here the Noto succinctly titled Google pixel 9 Pro fold you can snaffle
decent trading deals as well and compared with the original pixel fold you've got a fresh new design got
powerfully bright displays Lords of AI type gbin naturally a bit of upgraded tensor G4 action but the camera Tech
certainly sounds very familiar to any pixel fold fans and the battery has actually slightly shrunk in size so is
the pixel 9 Pro fold worth spunking h jants of cash on and how does it compare with one of its biggest Rivals Samsung's
Galaxy Zed fold 6 well I found my Sims stuffed inside the Fall 2 for about a week now so here's my unboxing review
and a bit of side-by-side Shenanigans with the Samsung and for more on the latest and greatest Tech please do po
subscribe and ding that notifications Bell cheers so first up what do you get in that box with the pixel 9 Pro
fold so we've got one Google pixel 9 Pro fold a USB type-c cable and the usual warranty Guff and of course a pory s pin
and that right there my lovelies is everything you get stuffed inside of that box all right so back to the future
and I've been using the pixel 9 Pro folders my full-time phone for a week let's start with the design now I really
Lov the original pixel fold cuz I had quite a squat finish so it was really easy to use one-handed in comparison
this sequel not quite so easy as it has a more traditional smartphone screen aspect ratio and of course big old
chunky bezels surrounding it it's particularly obvious when you stick it next to a rival like Samsung's Galaxy
Zed fold 6 that hinges slimmed right down whereas you've got it poking right out here on the pixel and even though
it's thinner and lighter than the original the pixel 9 Pro fold still a proper full-on slab of course where is
257 G so heavier than Samsung's bendy blower and a wee bit skinnier but with the big old camera bump there's not a
huge amount in it but absolutely zero gap between the two halves when these phones are folded up and if we flip them
around got quite a smart finish only the choice of two colors here on the pixel 9 for fold door this here porcelain model
otherwise obsidian so basically white or black whereas you get slightly more Choice with the Zed fold 6 and no matter
your choice that o end is constructed from Gorilla Glass victus 2 so scratch and shatter resistant and as you can see
there you've got a silky matte finish on both and both foldables sport a metal frame as well it's a multi- alloy steel
frame CED in polished aluminum on the pixel versus Samsung's usual armat aluminium effort here on the Galaxy Zed
fold 6 but as you can see that's a matte finish compared with the shiny glossy finish on the pixel which unfortunately
does get a bit smear and fingerprint and then up front you've got a bit more victus 2 uh but without a screen
protector pre-installed so you might want to slap your own on there just in case and don't worry if you have the
unusual tendency of dropping your smartphone into swimming pools sinks bathtubs whatever cuz they're both fully
water resistant can be submerged under a good meter plus of water for a good hour or so and still survive Al though
obviously if you do drop your phone in a swimming pool maybe fish it out as quickly as possible and towel it off
just to be sure however while the pixel 9 Pro fold is IP X8 rated the Samsung Galaxy Zed fold 6 is actually IP 48
rated and what that means is it isn't as troubled by dust grit sand and other annoying wee particles that could get in
there and otherwise bugger it up now the pixel 9 Pro folds like the Galaxy Zed fold 6 has an EDG mounted fingerprint
sensor which is perfectly reliable can't remember a single time it's bked up on me just a quick poke of that button and
you're basically straight into your desktops you've also got a bit of Face Unlock as an almost as reliable backup
an excellent security features stuffed on both of these handsets as well to keep your privates private and this
Google foldable Sports a 6.3 in actual OLED screen up front so exactly like the regular pixel 9 display is of course as
I mentioned before that 20 by9 aspect ratio now rather than the squat panel of the original fold or the sausage like
weirdly skinny effort on the Zed fold 6 yeah both quite well suited to kicking back with a bit of Netflix or whatever
but the pixel is definitely better for a bit of web browsing messaging like typing on the pixels virtual keyboard so
much easier than on the Galaxy's it's a 1080x 24 24 pixel resolution so again same as the regular pixel 9
unfortunately less crispy than the pixel 9 Pro which isn't exactly what you'd expect from something called the pixel 9
Pro fold but still movies photos Etc all look fantastic you got just as much detail packed into every frame as you do
on Samsung zold 6 and despite the fact that it cost the best part of two grand Google didn't bother slapping ltpo Tech
on this cover screen so the refresh rate scills from 60 HZ to 120 HZ doesn't dip as low as one Herz like the zold Sixers
cover screen which is pretty handy for the lik to the always on display just to help it burn less energy but still that
cover screen is pleasingly bright on the pixel hits around 2700 knits when you're Outdoors so clear visibility and I
haven't had any problems with the Zed fold Sixers either to be fair a nice neutral color reproduction as well as
the Zed fold 6 tends to spuff out slightly richer Bolder tones on the default screen settings you do have more
customization when it comes to Samsung's display color output but what about that all important hinge action well love it
here on the pixel 9 Pro fold it is satisfyingly smooth but also holds firm in a variety of different angles sly not
quite as satisfying here on the Zed fold 6 it is a bit of a stiffer hinge not quite as smooth and once unfilled the
pixel has the bigger of the internal displays at 8 in versus 7.6 in slightly more Square aspect ratio as well 2076 X
2152 pixel resolution versus 1856 X 2160 here on the zold 6 and the pixel 9 Pro fold display is considerably brighter
than the originals thank God as as well so now perfect at countering any glare as you can see that basically cancels
out the fierce studio lights in the background here so despite that shiny reflective Corton absolutely no issues
with our door visibility and it is noticeably brighter than the Zed fold Sixers internal panel as for the crease
well it's fairly subtle and both these bendy blowers a little bit more visible than some Rivals but there's not much of
a dip when you run your finger over it and hey this time Google is actually blessing us with a bit of LT CP Tech on
there just like the Zed fold 6 though of course for the always on display not much help cuz generally you're going to
be using that on the cover screen only and with both the pixel 9 Pro fold and that Galaxy Zed fold 6 you get a pretty
beefy stereo speaker setup so let's check them out starting with the pixel the last week's episode was of course
about the upcoming Apple iPhone 16 series and how they look kind of poo and now that z46 so naturally I'm braced for
a whole gang of rid Apple fanat spurting a venomous tsunami of seen rage right at my face like some kind of horrific rage
bakei it's got a similar Peak volume with both of these bendy blowers I got to say the audio Clarity the Christmas
slightly better here on the pixel I would say compared with the Zed for 6 Le that's what my knad old lugs reckon and
software and it is Android 14 slapped on both of these foldables we should be getting an upgrade to Android 15 rather
soon in fact October time certainly for the pixel hopefully Samsung won't be very far behind at all and the great
news is doesn't matter if you H buckets of cash at Google or Samsung cuz either way you're getting seven full years of
OS updates and security patching so yes they are expensive but they could also last you a very long time indeed but
despite the fact that it is Android on both you do have a different experience here on Samsung's Galaxy Zed fold 6
because you've got all of Samsung's own features apps and everything chucked on there like said Samsung smart things for
your smart home Shenanigans got old Bigsby assistant of course Samsung wallet for pain for stuff and personally
I'm not a fan of the way Samsung doubles up and all these features that Google already provides in Android it's kind of
messy and cluttered that's my personal feelings I prefer the stock Android Vibes you get on the Google pixel and of
course both Google and Samsung are obsessed with AI type Shenanigans so you get all those AI features like Circle to
search chucked on a got AI image generation which is just some very bizarre gimmicky weirdness much more
useful is the AI photo editing tools which can be used to quickly select a subject smartly from against the
background you can then turn into a sticker or move it about resize it you've also now got a good bit of Auto
frame here on the pixels which can help to either crop in or actually crop out a bit after you've taken a photo pretty
good if you're not very good at lining up a shot overall I do find the pixel more useful with the ti feat Fe es cuz
you've got the screenshots app which is fantastic and also a bit of Gemini Al although you only actually get free
access to this for a year and then you have to stump up a monthly subscription free which sucks monkey nuts anyway I'm
about sick of banging on about AI as you're probably sick of hearing about us Tech banging on about AI if you
want to know more go check out my full tips and tricks guide on the pixel9 series I've also done one of the Zed
fold 6 so you can see more on those AI Shenanigans huzzah and that big screen experience here on the pixel 9 Pro full
pretty straightforward stuff but it works well just basically you got your dock down here on the bottom just like
you have on the Zed fold 6 you can hide this away if you want to and then just drag it back onto the screen when you
actually need it or you can have it there fulltime pinned to the bottom of the screen there and then you can
quickly and easily drag other apps onto the display from the dock either side is good and of course you can flip rotate
as well which is particularly handy if you want you want to kick back with a bit of Netflix or YouTube or whatever
while browsing the web replying to messages whatever you want to get up to however with the pixel fold you can get
a maximum of two apps on that screen at one time whereas Rivals like the Galaxy Zed fold 6 you can often stick a third
one on there and also I have found that there's some software bugginess going on with the pixel 9 Pro fold that I didn't
see with the regular pixel 9 series giving the apps will just completely lock up on the cover screen and that
Massive Internal display play seems to mostly happen with YouTube randomly but I've seen it on other third party apps
as well for the rest of the specs well you got plenty of storage options with both of these bendy blowers for the
connectivity the pixel does support millimeter wave as well as sub six for the 5G unlike the Z fold 6 which I think
is just sub six but you got Ultra wideband support with both of these bad boys and a good bit of eim action as
well as the physical Sim Shenanigans now you've got very different Hardware running the sh on these phones you've
got Google tensor G4 chipset stuffed inside of the pixel where Samsung has gone for a Qualcomm chipset on its own
phone the Snapdragon 8 gen 3 in a slightly Samsung ified version now everyday running of course absolutely
fine on both of these phones but what about gaming well I found that the pixel 9 Pro fold behaved reasonably well when
I chucked on wether and waves and boosted up the graphics settings to the maximum levels that frame rate does
visibly dip on occasion and I found that this bendy blower also heated up after after just about 20 minutes and those
jutters and frame rate drops did seem to slightly worsen around the 40 minute Mark it's probably one for short bursts
of gameplay rather than full-on afternoon long sessions and also when I was gaming on the internal display I did
have some proper issues with sensitivity on WE and waves sometimes I'd have to jab a button a good few times before
actually seeing a response so yeah if you're a hardore gamer you'll be more tempted by the Zed fold 6 which ensures
smoother frame ratees and really tax and buggers like WEA and waves doesn't heat up anywhere near as quick as the pixel
and I didn't have those same sensitivity issues you do have basic gaming tools on both of these phones as well but we're
talking you know the ability to stream to YouTube live on the pixel you've also got something that can call
notifications on both of them but not much more than that really as for that battery life well the pixel 9 Pro folds
battery is slightly shrunk in capacity compared with the original pixel fold but it's still slightly bigger than the
day with Samsung's Galaxy Zed fold 6 but some days it is a bit of a struggle and it has run dry before I've been all
tucked up with Teddy at night time as on the pixel 9 Pro full touch one so far I've been really enjoying the battery
life on this thing the Lost I've run it down is around sort of 10 15% and that was a very long very intensive day lots
of camera action lots of media streaming Etc so certainly seems to be a massive improvement over the original pixel full
despite the more shrunken battery I guess cuz the tensor G4 must be more energy efficient chipset of course you
got a few little software enhancements running in the background as well but recharging these phones is a rather
lethargic process shall we say you got 21 watt wide charging on the pixel 9 Pro fold versus 25 watt on the Galaxy Zed
fold 6 so forget the tortois and the hair it's more case of the toris and the toris the torai where both tortoises are
old decrepit and facing in the wrong direction you got wireless charging support on both of these phones as well
but with the pixel 9 Pro fult I just could not get it to work with my wireless charging stands no matter where
I stuck it on there just absolutely refused to connect and I guess that might be due to the widely publicized
fact that the charging coil is slightly off center just seems to bugger it up completely and also you've got bugger
All Battery share functionality here on the pixel unlike sami's bendy blower and now finally the pixel 9 Pro folds camera
Tech which isn't quite as advanced as the other pixel 99 Pro blowers just like the Zed fold 6 doesn't pack Samsung's
Billy big bollock Optics as found on the likes of the s24 ultra you got a 48 megapixel shooter on the pixel versus
the 50 Mega on the Zed fold 6 and certainly if it's Pro features that you want well you've got a basic selection
here on the pixel 9 Pro fold basically you can shoot in raw format if you want you can manually select the lenses
that's about as exciting as it gets right here on the ZF 6 you've got a proper dedicated Pro mode with all kinds
of manual controls shutter speed EV levels and of course you can shoot in raw as well and you've also got a high
res mode which is missing on the pixel fold but for my camera test and I just left both these phones in full auto mode
and that the image process and smarts take control and buger all shocks or surprises here the Galaxy often pumps
out brighter Bolder colors compared with the pixel even with that scene Optimizer knocked off that's even the case in low
light shots as well both can capture an impressive amount of detail but the pixel produces more accurate tones again
as the Galaxy tends to give them a bit of a pump up and while the pixel9 pro full doesn't sport the exact same
Hardware as the regular pixel 9 Pro I still found it produced great looking picks pretty much any time of day
relatively few issues so I didn't see much grain in those low light scenarios it CED beautifully with HDR type
situations absolutely fine with action shots the portrait snaps look good and it's all down to Google's clever bollock
processing and then you've also got an ultra wide angle alternative on both bendy phones 10.5 megapixels here on the
pixel versus 12 Megs on the Galaxy you do have a proper bit of audo focus here on the pixel so it's more ideal for
those macro shots and I also find it does a decent job for capturing those more dramatic angles when you're out and
about and both phones also serve up a telephoto shooter but don't expect this to be as advanced as what you'll get
with the pixel 9 Pro or the Galaxy s24 Ultra it's a 10.8 Meg telephoto shooter with five times optical zoom on the
pixel this maxes out at 20 times maximum Zoom that's versus the 10 Meg telephoto shooter on the Galaxy with three times
optical zoom this actually maxes out a 30 times Zoom but things do get rather grainy when you crop all the way in for
your home movie type Shenanigans the pixel 99 Pro fold maxes out at 4K Ultra HD resolution there's no air kit option
unlike the Galaxy Zed fold 6 and while you do get that video boost feature chucked in here there is no option there
to again upgrade your footage to 8K unlike the pixel 9 Pros but all the same nice natural looking visuals again
strong audio pickup and excellent stabilization and you got a small selection of alternative camera modes on
here as well liks of night sight which is automatically activated any you can also shoot a panorama bit of portrait
action of course and add me which I did Cover in my tips and tricks guide the ZF 6 slightly more dense with random stuff
including food modes but a single take which is pretty good if you got kids cats whatever and no ad me type feature
just yet but that might be coming in a future update and then on that cover screen you've got a pretty basic selfie
cam slapped onto both pixel 9 Pro fold and the Galaxy Zed fold 6 but of course you don't need to use that for your
selfie type Shenanigans because of course what you can do is unfill these Mighty beasts and just use the rear
camera to shoot your footage get a quick selfie pick to Post online or a bit of vlogging action of course you got those
Mighty cover screens to actually see what's going on make sure your mug is in frame Etc and then you've also got a
secondary selfie camera secreted on the internal displays again a pretty basic effort you can actually shoot 4K footage
using the pixels internal sze self camera as here on the Galaxy Zed fold 6 It's actually an under display selfie
camera it's pretty basic stuff the image is really really grainy and you can only record yourself in full HD using this
bad boy and deep breath that in a nutshell is what I reckon of the Google pixel 9 Pro fold after using it as my
full-time smartphone for a week and how it Stacks up against the Galaxy Zed fold 6 which I've reviewed separately go
check that out if you want to know more right now it' be great to hear your thoughts on these massive flexible gits
which one are you most tempted by if indeed you've got the best partt of 2 Grand stuffed into your sock drawer stay
tuned for even more foldable phone Shenanigans got a couple more launching in the next week or two my pockets are
certainly bulging every day anyway enough waffle please do Pok subscribe ding that notifications Bell for more on
the latest greatest bendiest Tech have yourselves a bloody marvelous rest of the week cheers everyone love you