Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review: A bold canvas for foldables but one step at a time

I have used the Pixel 9 Pro Fold for over two weeks, and here’s what impressed me about the foldable phone and what didn’t.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold price in India (as reviewed): Rs 1,72,999

The 8-inch display is a massive amount of real estate. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Thinner and comfortable to use

By now, I have used foldable smartphones countless times, and each time, I get a strange feeling that makes me switch back to “normal” phones. I never felt that I could use them as my primary device because they can be uncomfortable to handle. However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold felt different. I think its shape and size made it a little more comfortable to use—and that one change made a significant difference in how I view foldable phones.

I would say the Pixel 9 Pro Fold sits between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the OnePlus Open, among the two most popular foldables. In fact, the original Pixel Fold was short and wide like an actual passport. The new model, however, matches the size of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, making it closer to a regular smartphone that you and I are familiar with and accustomed to. However, that doesn’t mean the Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels like a “normal” phone—it clearly isn’t. After all, this is a foldable phone, and that’s a fundamental difference between the Pixel 9 Pro XL and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The two phones aren’t going to be the same, and you will definitely feel it once you start using the Pixel Fold.

Sure, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is extremely thin and has the same 6.3-inch exterior screen as the Pixel 9 Pro, but it is also heavy. Still, the phone never feels awkward to hold—and by the way, I like devices that have a little heft and feel solid, which reminds me of the Nokia Communicator. The phone’s frame is made of aluminium, while the hinge has an aerospace-grade, high-strength aluminium alloy cover. The exterior display features a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover. The rear panel is also Gorilla Glass; however, it’s matte instead of glossy. The rear-mounted camera sensors jut out in a rectangular module with rounded corners. You have the power and volume buttons on the right, the USB-C port, and the nano SIM slot at the bottom.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gives off the impression of two smartphones glued together. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Unfortunately, which is also true for other high-end smartphones, the Pro Fold doesn’t come in fun colours, as it’s only available in Obsidian and Porcelain. I wonder why brands assume that ultra-premium smartphones shouldn’t come in bold colours and why only a luxurious foldable device like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is deemed fit for an executive. Not cool, Google.

The Fold has a durability rating of IPX8 for water resistance, which is on par with other foldables, but it lacks a dust ingress rating due to the hinge. You can take the Pixel Fold to a swimming pool, but be careful, as the device’s internal screen is delicate and needs extra care if you want the phone to last longer.

The entire device sits flat when opened, which is commendable—kudos to the design team. There’s something blissful about a phone you can grip with one hand without worrying about dropping it, though I should mention getting a case as soon as you start using it. Nonetheless, it’s very satisfying to open the device and fold it shut. In fact, every time I close the Fold, it reminds me of the Nintendo 3DS XL. There’s something magical about the physicality of the device—the touch and feel, and the grip when the screen folds.

I spent most of my time using the phone’s exterior display. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Google takes a book-style approach with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, similar to other foldables in the market. This is a popular form factor; like a book, you open the Pixel Fold to reveal a large, flexible 8-inch ultra-thin glossy piece of glass for the display. However, most of the time I used the device, my interactions were mainly with the 6.3-inch screen on the outside. In a way, this is a good thing, as I don’t have to open the tablet-like display all the time. I can actually use the cover display for WhatsApp, sending a text message or replying to Gmail. The cover display works perfectly in all of those scenarios and, if you need more room – well, you open the device.

Both displays are good for everyday tasks, but the 8-inch display OLED adds a significant amount of screen real estate. It is bright and sharp, as is the front display. The peak brightness of 2,700 nits allows users to read news articles and eBooks in bright sunlight. The interior display isn’t crease-free, though. The crease is definitely visible in the middle of the foldable, but it has never bothered me; it’s there, but it doesn’t impact daily usage.

The entire device sits completely flat when it’s open. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

The inner display opens many new possibilities

I have been asked many times how a foldable phone is different from a regular smartphone, and I would always say that it all comes down to a different form factor and the extra things you can do with a phone that has a foldable screen versus a device that doesn’t. By “different,” I don’t mean that a foldable will offer something completely new that your existing phone can’t do. However, a device like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold shines in three specific aspects—at least, those are what I found compelling enough.

First and foremost, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels superior as a tablet. I mean, just look at the 8-inch screen; it becomes an effortless tablet to carry around. During a trip to San Francisco last week, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was the only tablet I packed in my bag. I watched the second season of Heartstopper on the device, and not for a second did I miss my iPad mini. I felt burden-free not having to carry an extra device on the trip. In the first few hours of the flight, I watched the show, and in the latter part, I listened to music on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It serves a dual purpose, which I think offers a compelling benefit of using a foldable phone.

The split-screen experience shines on this device. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Secondly, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a great eBook reader. Reading on the Kindle app is enjoyable for long hours. Third, certain apps — especially Google ones — take advantage of the larger screen on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, resulting in a different experience. Google Calendar, for example, utilises the extra screen real estate, and you can actually feel the difference immensely. Another example is Google Meet, which lets you use all the cameras and screens, allowing the person you’re talking to to appear on the external screen so that others around you can see them too, instead of crowding around your phone. Some games also take advantage of the extra real estate and can customise your gaming experience accordingly.

The downside is that the list of games that support this feature is still very small.

I also liked how you can run two apps simultaneously on the inner screen. Sure, you can do the same on any smartphone, but the implementation is better on a foldable screen. Think of running a YouTube video on one side and Google News on the other, for example.

These are smartphone features, the things we all do on a phone. The difference is that on a foldable phone like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the experience is optimised for a large inner screen. However, not every app takes advantage of this. Just because the inner screen is considerably large doesn’t mean I would ditch my laptop or iPad Pro and start using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as a replacement. Not really. It won’t surpass those devices, even though you can use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to get some work done. All I’m saying is that I would still prefer a laptop for writing long-form articles and get the real work done.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is great for reading news articles and e-books. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

But not everything about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is perfect, especially on the software side. For instance, there’s an option that allows you to continue what you were doing in an app on the inner screen when you close the phone by swiping up on the outer screen. It works well, yes, but overall, Google hasn’t moved leaps and bounds with the software. I would say it’s an Android problem.

At times, I feel that the interface doesn’t adapt well to a foldable screen, resulting in an experience that feels more in tune for tablets. For instance, on a regular smartphone, there is no right or wrong way to hold the device and watch a YouTube video when screen autorotation is enabled. However, on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, when I was watching a YouTube video on the inner screen, I had to be careful about holding the device correctly, as there was a high chance I might hold it incorrectly and break the screen. There should be a warning sign, but there isn’t.

I agree this is Google’s second foldable smartphone, and the company is still learning how to optimise the experience for new types of form factors. However, the bigger problem that remains unresolved is how to adapt the interface for foldable phones. If Google can’t solve it, I don’t think any other company will be able to.

The phone feels expensive in the hand, which matters when you spend this kind of money. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

AI overload is here

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has all the AI features that Google is heavily marketing lately, but I feel we have reached a point where they might be overloading the smartphone experience. At least, that’s how I feel. You might not want to use all the AI features but Google keeps reminding you it has made the best AI smartphone.

Anyway, the AI features that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with are similar to those available across the entire Pixel 9 series. These range from generating images in the Pixel Studio app and searching screenshots in the AI Screenshots app to using Magic Editor, which can “reimagine” a photo or insert objects using text prompts. Then there’s the new Gemini Live experience, which allows for fully conversational, flowing back-and-forth discussions. It used to be available as part of a $20/month Gemini Advanced subscription, which also included 2TB of cloud storage and Gemini features in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. When you buy any Pixel 9 Pro or 9 Pro XL (including the Fold), you get a one-year free trial of Gemini Advanced. However, Google recently announced that Gemini Live would be included for free going forward. Look, Gemini Live is fun, but it needs a bit of work. I feel that it’s too slow to truly qualify as a real back-and-forth conversation, for now.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold launches with Android 14, but Google will upgrade the device to Android 15. ( Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Pretty powerful but the battery life could have been better

The device has Google’s proprietary Tensor G4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. I’m not into benchmarking and really don’t make too much fuss about the processor type or who made it; all I care about is how the phone feels on a day-to-day basis. The Pixel Fold performs similarly to the Pixel 9 Pro XL; it’s snappy and handles two apps on screen simultaneously. I feel that every smartphone I’ve reviewed this year is fast, and frankly, we have reached peak smartphone performance some time ago.

As for battery life, Google has squeezed in a 4,650 mAh cell. Despite having two screens, the Fold’s battery lasts a day, but don’t expect it to stretch beyond that. That’s for sure. A full charge takes about 96 minutes using a 45W USB-C charger (which is not included in the box).

There’s a lot to love about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The fun factor can’t be overlooked. ( Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Great cameras

The Pixel Fold’s camera houses three sensors and a flash. The primary sensor offers 48 megapixels with optical image stabilisation; the wide-angle lens delivers 10.5 MP outputs, while the 5x telephoto lens has 10.8 MP on offer. During the trip to San Francisco, I spent a lot of time with the camera, and I can confirm that the device produces amazing snaps. As I always say, the camera aspect is subjective, but yes, I am a huge fan of Pixel photography. You can expect a great ultra-wide lens, 5x optical zoom, and a brilliant night mode. The Pixel Fold’s camera stands out on its own; however, I felt the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a Midas touch when it comes to cameras. Nevertheless, the Pixel Fold has a versatile camera, and the results speak for themselves.

Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Pixel 9 Pro Fold sample image. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Should you buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold?

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a crème de la crème smartphone that’s not made for everyone. I think its sticker price makes that clear, and Google isn’t shying away from the fact that this device is somewhat of an early experiment with foldables. Google has done a lot of things right with this second-generation foldable smartphone but has also left some things unchanged. All of this indicates that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will evolve in the future; the hardware is there, and Google has demonstrated that well, but it just needs the right software implementation. Pros Cons Expensive Much more fragile and costlier to repair than a regular device No dust resistance Lack of Stylus support Heavier than normal phone Launches with Android 14 Lackluster UI