Hands-on: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a masterclass in learning from your mistakes

Ben Schoon | Aug 13 2024 - 10:11 am PT

When Google unveiled the first Pixel Fold last year, I was shocked that it was actually a halfway decent product, but it still had some fundamental flaws too. Now, Google is following up on that device with the drastically-different Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which learns from virtually every mistake Google made the first time around.

The original Pixel Fold suffered from a few key flaws, starting with a few aspects of the inner display.

Pixel Fold’s outer display was a delight to use, but the inner display was full of flaws. Firstly, it was way too wide for a lot of smartphone tasks. Typing was uncomfortable and apps without tablet optimizations were often pretty funky. That was only made worse by the display’s ultra-reflective finish and a deep, wide crease down the middle. These weren’t deal-breakers, but they were pretty big flaws.

Beyond that, the hinge was also a valid cause for complaint. It’s smooth and strong, but doesn’t unfold flat without a fight, a problem that’s only gotten worse over time.

These issues have been entirely fixed on the second generation.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold, in our hands-on time ahead of today’s Made by Google event, is a stunning revamp of Google’s take on what a foldable should be, and that all really boils down to fixing mistakes.

Looking from the outside, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is completely redesigned to better fit with the rest of the Pixel 9 series. Really, at a glance, you wouldn’t know that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was a foldable if it didn’t have a different camera module or that flat edge along the hinge.

Speaking of that camera bump, it still looks a little odd in person, but not nearly as much as I expected based on leaks.

The hinge, meanwhile, is also a great improvement. When you unfold the device it slightly springs open and then settles into a completely flat open position. That might change with age, but that’s pretty common among foldables. For now, though, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels better than the Pixel Fold ever did.

The inner display is also leaps and bounds better.

The aspect ratio is not as wide and instead a whole lot taller. This may be a shame for media and the passport-like shape of the folded-up form factor, but it was the right call. This aspect ratio is much closer to the OnePlus Open, meaning it should play very nicely with apps. It’s also way more comfortable to actually hold and use just in the little time I’ve tried it so far.

Another key complaint about Pixel Fold was its 283g weight. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is trimmed down a fair bit, but it’s still heavier than the OnePlus Open and Galaxy Z Fold 6. That said, given this device has a larger display than both of those, the extra weight doesn’t really feel out of place.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also super thin.

At just 10.5mm when folded, this device is just barely thicker than a normal phone, and you can tell. Compared to other foldables available in the States today, Google has really pulled off something special here, and I can’t wait to see how it works in daily life.

There’s also a design aspect that I’m glad Google didn’t use here. The polished rails. Both the original Pixel Fold and the rest of the Pixel 9 Pro series uses a polished finish to the side rails. That’s something I deeply came to dislike about the original Pixel Fold, and I’m really glad that, outside of the hinge, Google opted for a matte finish on this device. The sides also aren’t completely flat, with rounded edges making it physically easier to open the device.

The biggest flaw that the original Pixel Fold had was its slightly outdated, prone to overheating Tensor G2 chipset. Google has come a ways with Tensor in the time since and, while I obviously haven’t had time to fully test it out, I’m reasonably confident that Tensor G4 will hold up way better in this new device than G2 did in the original Fold. The only cause for concern that I have is the insanely thin design, which is going to make heat issues harder to ignore, but that’s ultimately a problem that really all foldables face.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold probably won’t be perfect. There’s an uphill battle for Google here, because the competition is stiff. Samsung may have released a very underwhelming sixth-generation Galaxy Z Fold this year, but it’s still a device that has the benefit of learning from years of mistakes and successes. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Open was so good last year that the company doesn’t have a sequel this year, and is instead taking a victory lap with an upgraded version that genuinely still might be the best foldable available in the States.

But to me, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is showing that Google is willing to admit that it got more than a few things wrong on the first Pixel Fold, learn from those mistakes, and put out a device that looks incredibly promising.

Pixel 9 Pro Fold is available for pre-order today and ships in September starting at $1,799.