Google's Foldable Phone Review | Tom's Guide
The Google Pixel Fold is Google’s first foldable phone but it really impresses with its wide front display, superior cameras and intuitive multitasking software. This is also the thinnest foldable yet when open and it sports a smooth and quiet hinge, and the tabletop and tent modes come in handy. The Pixel Fold isn’t as powerful as the Galaxy Z Fold 4 — and its bezels are a bit large — but overall this is the best foldable we’ve tested yet.
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00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 It's about frickin' time.
00:03 The Google Pixel Fold finally joins
00:05 the foldable phone party that has been
00:07 dominated heavily by Samsung.
00:09 And this is not a Me Too device.
00:10 The Pixel Fold stands out with a wide front display
00:13 that's easy to use, the thinnest design on a foldable,
00:15 and of course, pixel grade cameras.
00:18 I have to say that this is the first foldable phone
00:20 I can actually picture myself using on a daily basis.
00:23 Google has done a remarkable job nailing the software.
00:26 The split screen multitasking is intuitive,
00:28 and there's plenty of apps optimized for the bigger
00:30 7.6 inch display.
00:32 There's a few trade-offs, not to mention
00:34 that high $1800 price.
00:36 However, Google hasn't just joined the party,
00:38 it has crashed it in spectacular fashion.
00:41 (dramatic music)
00:43 The Pixel Fold puts Samsung on notice
00:52 when it comes to making a foldable phone,
00:54 and it all starts with a 5.8 inch front display
00:57 that just feels natural compared to the cramped
00:59 and narrow cover panel on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
01:02 The wider aspect ratio makes it easier to type
01:05 and just use apps.
01:06 Another big plus for the Pixel Fold
01:08 is that this is the thinnest foldable when open,
01:10 measuring 0.2 inches thick compared to 0.25 inches
01:15 for the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
01:17 Make no mistake, this is a chunky phone.
01:20 With a large 7.6 inch display unfolded,
01:22 the device feels comfortable to hold.
01:24 However, at 10 ounces, this handset is fairly hefty
01:27 versus the 9.28 ounces for the Z Fold 4.
01:30 The biggest eyesore on the Pixel Fold
01:32 is the relatively thick bezels around the internal display,
01:35 making this otherwise futuristic handset
01:38 feel like a throwback.
01:39 But once you're immersed in content,
01:40 you don't notice them that much.
01:42 There is definitely a crease here,
01:44 which you'll notice more in direct sunlight
01:46 and feel when you're dragging your finger
01:48 across the display.
01:49 I give Google credit for the Pixel Fold's
01:51 fluid friction hinge.
01:53 It's super smooth in operation
01:54 and I didn't hear any creaking.
01:56 There's also no gap when closed,
01:58 which will stop debris from getting in.
02:00 Google claims this is the most durable hinge
02:02 available on a foldable, though time will tell.
02:05 Unfolded, the phone is flat,
02:07 but I wouldn't say perfectly so.
02:09 I'm not sure why I care about that,
02:10 but it is a little annoying.
02:12 With a water resistance rating of IPX8,
02:14 the Pixel Fold can withstand being submerged
02:16 in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes,
02:19 but it's not waterproof or dustproof.
02:21 The Pixel Fold is available in two colors,
02:23 porcelain and obsidian.
02:25 I prefer the porcelain model as it pops more,
02:27 but the black model has a sleek,
02:28 executive vibe going for it.
02:30 The Pixel Fold's dual OLED displays are both good,
02:34 offering plenty of color and wide viewing angles
02:36 along with smooth 120 hertz refresh rates.
02:39 I enjoyed watching the Ahsoka trailer
02:41 as she wielded her dual lightsabers.
02:43 You can pinch to zoom for a full screen effect
02:45 on YouTube and on Netflix,
02:47 but this cuts off part of the scene.
02:50 In our tests, the Pixel Fold's displays
02:52 weren't as colorful as the Galaxy Z Fold 4,
02:54 but the colors were more accurate.
02:57 Overall, I preferred framing photos
02:58 with the external display on the Pixel Fold
03:00 when outdoors because it's brighter than the main screen,
03:03 but the inner display is better for reviewing your photos
03:06 and videos and watching content.
03:09 The Pixel Fold makes multitasking a breeze
03:11 with how Google has designed its software.
03:13 There's a dock you pull up with a quick swipe
03:15 and you can easily run apps side by side.
03:18 You just drag an app to either side of the screen
03:20 and you'll be in split screen mode.
03:22 From there, you can easily swap sides if you want
03:24 with a double tap or resize the windows
03:26 by dragging the middle bar.
03:27 And when you long swipe from the bottom of the screen,
03:29 your app pairs will still be there.
03:31 You can also drag content from one side of the display
03:34 to the other, such as dropping photos
03:36 into outgoing messages or emails.
03:38 Part of me likes how Samsung makes the dock always visible
03:41 if you want it that way.
03:42 The Galaxy Fold also lets you run up to three apps at once,
03:45 but overall, the Pixel Fold's approach is clean
03:47 and intuitive.
03:49 The Pixel Fold offers multiple usage modes
03:51 that come in handy.
03:52 10 mode is great for watching videos hands-free
03:54 while you're doing other stuff.
03:56 And tabletop mode lets you position the phone like a laptop
03:58 with some apps displaying your content at the top
04:01 and controls at the bottom.
04:03 Tabletop camera mode is awesome,
04:04 making it easy to capture photos and videos hands-free
04:07 without a tripod.
04:08 I did this while taking a time-lapse video
04:10 and found it very useful.
04:12 Tabletop mode also comes in handy
04:13 when you're on a video call.
04:15 I can chat with my colleague Kate on the top window
04:17 while browsing through email and checking Slack
04:19 in the bottom window.
04:20 Now that's multitasking.
04:22 Google has also optimized a ton of its own apps
04:25 for the Pixel Fold's big screen,
04:27 and there's some great third-party apps too.
04:29 Gmail is especially nice on this device,
04:31 as I like being able to see my inbox on the left
04:34 and the content of my messages on the right.
04:36 I also appreciate that TikTok lets you see the videos
04:39 and comments at once side by side.
04:41 Spotify has some nice dual-pane action too,
04:44 but other apps just feel like stretched-out phone apps,
04:46 unlike Slack.
04:47 The Pixel Fold stays true to the Pixel brand
04:51 by offering great photo quality,
04:53 and it starts with a trio of rear cameras
04:55 consisting of a 48-megapixel main sensor,
04:58 a 10.8 ultra-wide shooter,
05:00 and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto lens with 5X optical zoom.
05:03 Up front, there's a 9.5-megapixel camera,
05:07 and the inside houses an 8-megapixel lens.
05:10 If you're looking to add an artistic blur to your shots,
05:12 try the long exposure feature,
05:13 which adds a sense of movement to this small waterfall,
05:16 adding a bit of drama.
05:18 Another neat feature, borrowed from the Galaxy Fold,
05:21 is rear camera selfie mode,
05:22 which enables you to use the rear lenses
05:24 and take super sharp pics.
05:26 And once you've activated the timer and settings,
05:28 you can take selfies just by holding your hand
05:31 in front of the camera.
05:32 Overall, the Pixel Fold delivers excellent image quality
05:35 and flexibility.
05:36 Side by side with some of the best camera phones,
05:39 the Pixel Fold certainly holds its own.
05:42 In this shot, I actually prefer the Pixel Fold
05:44 to the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Galaxy S23 Ultra.
05:47 The spouting water in the fountain
05:48 looks sharpest through the iPhone,
05:50 but I prefer the exposure through the Pixel Fold
05:52 as you can make out more detail in the shadows
05:54 and in the fountain itself.
05:56 In portrait mode, all three phones did a fine job
05:58 with the bokeh effect,
05:59 but I give the non to the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
06:01 It's bright, detailed, and offers more contrast
06:03 than the Pixel Fold.
06:05 However, the S23 Ultra's background is too blurry.
06:07 The Pixel Fold's detail in my shirt
06:09 and even the reflection in my glasses is really impressive.
06:12 The Pixel Fold doesn't have a dedicated macro mode
06:15 like competing flagships,
06:16 but you can take stellar looking closeups
06:18 if you use portrait mode.
06:20 With this tool up, you can make out the veins in the pedals
06:22 and the stigma in the center,
06:24 but the look isn't as mesmerizing as the 3D-like effect
06:26 of Samsung's macro shot.
06:28 Feeling hungry?
06:29 The Pixel Fold can take delicious looking food shots,
06:31 though in this case, I give the edge to the S23 Ultra.
06:34 You get both more detail in the tart and in the fruit.
06:37 And I slightly prefer the iPhone shot too,
06:39 which has a warmer tone
06:40 and better sharpness front to back in the berries.
06:43 To test out the optical zoom,
06:45 I shot the top of the Empire State Building at 5X zoom,
06:47 and the Pixel Fold did a very good job
06:49 capturing the striations in the stone of the spire
06:52 and detail in the building.
06:54 The Pixel Fold is a champ in low light.
06:57 It delivers a brighter image of the colorful lantern,
06:59 the pool in the background,
07:01 and the light reflecting off the concrete below.
07:04 I shot plenty of video with the Pixel Fold,
07:06 and it can capture a colorful 10-bit HDR footage
07:09 with a max of 4K at 60 frames per second.
07:11 You can make out individual bubbles
07:13 as I pan around this shot of a fountain.
07:16 Zooming in is more jarring than I'd like,
07:17 but the statue itself is super sharp,
07:20 as are the surrounding birds.
07:22 The Pixel Fold packs the same Tensor G2 chip
07:24 as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro,
07:27 and that's mostly a good thing.
07:28 Just don't expect the Fold to outperform
07:30 the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or upcoming Z Fold 5,
07:33 and definitely not the latest iPhones.
07:35 Let's start with the good news.
07:36 The Pixel Fold is generally responsive and snappy,
07:39 whether I was surfing the web
07:40 and flipping between multiple open tabs
07:42 or racing around an Asphalt 9.
07:44 The Call of Duty mobile experience
07:46 was fairly fluid as well.
07:47 Even with multiple enemies on screen
07:49 trying to mow me down, the action didn't slow down.
07:52 On Geekbench 6, the Pixel Fold
07:53 turned in a single-core score of 1390
07:56 and a multi-core score of 3291.
07:58 That's not far behind the Z Fold 4,
08:00 but that's running a year-old Snapdragon HN1 chip.
08:03 The Pixel Fold also trails competing flagships
08:06 in graphics performance, as you'll see
08:07 in our 3DMark test results.
08:09 And when it comes to transcoding video,
08:11 the Pixel Fold is slower than the Galaxy Z Fold 4
08:13 by 15 seconds and the iPhone 14 Pro Max by 30 seconds.
08:18 In everyday use, the Pixel Fold is a solid performer,
08:20 but it's definitely not the fastest phone around.
08:23 The Pixel Fold packs a 4821 milliamp hour battery,
08:26 which should last you through most of the day.
08:28 Between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. one day while I was testing,
08:31 I got the battery down to 28% after taking photos,
08:34 surfing the web, and playing games.
08:36 That's a little more than I was expecting.
08:38 On our battery test, the Pixel Fold lasted 10 hours
08:41 and 21 minutes in 60 hertz display mode
08:43 when surfing the web over 5G.
08:45 That's pretty good considering that the Galaxy Fold
08:47 averaged 917 with the same display settings.
08:51 The devices on our best phone battery life list
08:53 last over 11 hours, but this foldable
08:55 has a much bigger screen to power.
08:57 The Pixel Fold supports 30-watt wire charging
09:00 as well as Qi wireless charging.
09:02 (gentle music)
09:04 The Google Pixel Fold goes on sale
09:06 through wireless carriers June 27th,
09:08 and you can also order through Google and various retailers.
09:11 The price starts at a steep $1799 for 256 gigs of storage
09:15 and $1919 for 512.
09:18 I would definitely keep an eye out for steep discounts
09:20 and big sales before investing so you don't pay full price.
09:23 So, is it worth it?
09:25 Yes, the Pixel Fold is an exorbitantly expensive smartphone,
09:29 but there's also a lot of versatility here.
09:31 In fact, the more I use this mini tablet and phone in one,
09:34 I feel like I'm cheating the system
09:35 with everything the Pixel Fold can do.
09:37 I really like how easy it is to run two apps side by side,
09:40 the elegant dock and the multiple usage modes
09:43 like tabletop and tent.
09:45 The overall design feels durable and polished
09:47 despite the large bezels on the inside.
09:50 And the camera system works well,
09:51 giving you plenty of creative freedom
09:53 because of this foldable's sheer flexibility.
09:56 I also give Google kudos for working to optimize
09:58 lots of apps for the huge 7.6-inch panel
10:01 while making the cover display wide enough
10:03 to make it usable.
10:04 So what about the Galaxy Fold 5?
10:06 There's some good reasons to wait
10:07 for Samsung's next foldable,
10:08 as it promises faster performance, a lighter design,
10:11 and should once again support S Pen input,
10:14 but the exterior display is still tipped to be narrow.
10:17 With the Google Pixel Fold, the performance could be better,
10:19 but overall, this is a stellar foldable phone
10:22 that should make Samsung very nervous.
10:25 For my full written review, head to tomsguide.com
10:27 and check out our socials on Instagram,
10:29 Facebook, and TikTok @tomsguide.
10:32 I'm Mark Spunauer, and I'll see you in the next video.
10:35 (upbeat music)
10:38 (camera shutter clicking)
10:42 (upbeat music)
10:44 (upbeat music)
10:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]