The Google Pixel Fold was an impressive first showing for a foldable, but in the larger context of the foldable market, it had some clear disadvantages. But, at its current Black Friday price of $1,399, the Pixel Fold is absolutely worth it and also finally at the price it should have been from day one.
Google’s Pixel Fold launched over the summer to middling reviews. On the bright side, it offered excellent hardware with a strong hinge, a delightfully short but wide outer display, and some of the best cameras on a folding device. Google’s software experience also brilliantly translated over to a foldable.
But it was far from perfect.
The Pixel Fold struggled with its hinge being too strong, leading to the device not opening fully flat, especially over time. The display crease, while not awful, only became more outdated as Samsung and OnePlus launched new foldables in the following months. Beyond that, Google’s Tensor G2 processor suffered from heat issues on the foldable, which was only made more frustrating by the fact that Tensor G3 went a long way in solving those problems. Personally, I just wish Google had waited a little longer.
In any case, though, my primary argument back in July against the Pixel Fold was its price. With Tensor’s heat problems and the overall lesser quality to the hardware, it was difficult, if not impossible, to recommend a Pixel Fold at $1,799 over the Galaxy Z Fold 5 at the same price. That’s even harder now that the OnePlus Open, which is just truly stellar, is available for $100 less.
But for Black Friday, Google has dropped the price of Pixel Fold down to $1,399, which is where it probably should have always been.
That $400 discount really changes the conversation in my eyes. When you have two products at the same high price, smaller things become weightier in terms of figuring out what device is the best choice. But, when there’s a lower price in play, it’s a little easier to accept some shortcomings. In fact, that’s been the argument with Google’s Tensor-powered Pixel phones for the past few years. Sure, Tensor is not as good as a Snapdragon chip, but with hundreds of dollars between the two, is that really a big deal? I’d argue no. Does that apply to the Pixel Fold? To a certain extent, I think so. Tensor’s heat issues in my time with the Pixel Fold have still left a sour taste, but I would have been a whole lot more willing to put up with that from the beginning if the device had been priced at $1,399.
And, notably, $1,399 is a price we’ve heard Google originally wanted to hit.
The only tough part of the conversation now is the OnePlus Open. At $1,699, I’d argue you still get a whole lot more for your money with the OnePlus device, and with a $200 minimum trade-in, the difference becomes more negligible. Best Buy will even drop the Open’s price to $1,399 with activation.
The only thing Google really has in its favor here is software because OxygenOS is a mess.
For me, I think the OnePlus Open would still be my choice for buying a foldable in 2023, but a $1,399 Pixel Fold is really compelling.
More on Foldables:
- Review: OnePlus Open is the best foldable, as long as you can put up with OxygenOS
- Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 are now getting their Android 14 updates
- Foldables will be able to show apps on both screens at once with Android 14
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