The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, a phone that looks amazing and performs just as well, is the best example of how foldable phones are becoming more useful. However, at Rs 1,72,999, it is also a pricey phone.
For the past few years, companies have been producing foldable phones; Samsung is one of them. It wasn’t until 2023 that consumers could finally purchase a foldable phone, in my opinion, with the OnePlus Open. This was due to the fact that the Open was nearly identical to a conventional phone, in contrast to the previous foldable phones, such as the Pixel Fold, which was not released in India. It was useful and sensible. Subsequently, phone companies have adopted the design philosophy introduced by the Open. Google is jumping on the bandwagon with its Pixel 9 Pro Fold. As a result, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has practically just one drawback, but it is a very useful phone with all the benefits of a foldable screen.
It’s also one of the best foldable phones available in India, in my opinion, thanks to Google’s clean Android and a slew of Gemini AI features, though it’s pricey at Rs 1,72,999. However, when you consider that it is also distinct and relatively exclusive, Rs 1,72,999 isn’t a bad price to pay for exclusivity in a nation where Coldplay concert tickets are sold for 10X on the black market and hundreds of people wait in line to purchase the newest iPhone within the first hour of its release.
Whether or not the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a good buy is not the more important question. Rather, the question is: can its foldable screen outperform your standard phone and provide you with something more? And to that, I would say, “Yes,” but with some qualifications.
Perfect Design
Smartphone manufacturers are gradually but unquestionably deciding on the fundamentals of a foldable phone design. The concept is that the phone’s top screen, in clamshell mode, ought to be sufficiently large and functional to function as a standard phone. When the inner, larger screen is unfolded, the gadget resembles a small tablet. To be carried like a typical phone, the phone must also be lightweight, sleek, and thin. All of these categories are well-served by the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The phone, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, is stylish. Its metal body is smooth but not shiny, and it comes in an obsidian color, which is similar to a deep grey. I just prefer my phones this way. The hinge, which is hardly noticeable, is the only shiny component. The phone has outstanding build quality overall. It has a substantial, high-end feel. The phone has a Pixel-like appearance due to the camera island’s nearly square shape and excessively rounded corners.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold weighs less than other phones in its class at 257 grams. In contrast, the weight of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 227 grams. Because of its small weight, you can use and carry the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with ease all day. The 9 Pro Fold’s thin design—it folds down to about 10 mm in thickness—also helps. It is only 5.1 mm thick when unfolded!
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s design makes it a simple device to use, especially when using the outer screen in regular phone mode. Unlike many other foldable phones that we have seen, this screen is of a high caliber. This screen is essentially the same as the one found in the standard Pixel 9, which we thought had great color and brightness. When unfolded, the inner screen is 8 inches wide. Watching videos on this screen is delightful, as it has a sharp resolution and is an excellent screen overall.
Nevertheless, foldable screens are still a developing technology. Compared to the screens of typical high-end phones, they are more reflective due to the protective film that covers them. In well-lit or sunlit environments, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold exhibits unusual reflections despite its exceptionally high brightness.
The crease, what about it? That is also in place. Furthermore, because foldable screens are still in development, this is the case. Though it’s not as noticeable as it once was, this crease is present on all foldable phones. When I viewed the Pixel 9 Pro Fold from an angle, I could see the crease. The good news is that the crease is not as noticeable when I hold the phone in my hands and look down at it, which is how we use our phones. You can feel the crease when you move your finger over the screen.
Naturally, the crease is a major factor in why I still advise most people to get a regular phone. Although the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has minimized the crease to the best of its ability given current technology, perfectionists and those who find even pixel-level display flaws upsetting will still be bothered by the crease.
When the phone is unfolded, its sturdy hinge allows it to open completely flat. In a similar vein, there is no visible space between its two halves when it is folded. This is the ideal design for a foldable phone. The absence of a grip, a nub, or a small alcove in the frame where you could dig your fingers to unfold the phone is one feature, though, that I dislike. Right now, unfolding the phone takes an extra second or two because the fingers have nothing to grip onto. You also have to be careful not to let it fall out of your hands while you are trying to pry it open.
Using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s internal hardware is comparable to that of the Pixel 9 Pro XL. This indicates that it has a 256GB storage capacity, 16GB of RAM, and the Tensor G4 chipset inside. There is just one version available.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold can be used in two ways, as previously mentioned: first, it can be used on its outer display like a standard 6.3-inch phone. Furthermore, you can use its internal screen as a device to extend the display for your entertainment needs, such as gaming or watching content, or to run two apps side by side or create a larger canvas for editing photos or videos. Depending on how you use it, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a reasonably speedy phone. There is not a lag or a scroll problem issues on it. The best part is that it doesn’t overheat while you’re playing games. Regarding the displays, they are both excellent and can support a frame rate of 120 Hz Hz, which is significant when using apps like Instagram.
In order to optimize the larger display, Google provides customized user interfaces for its apps. The apps use a tablet user interface when in landscape mode, though it is a little strange to flip the orientation given the phone’s square shape when unfolded. This indicates that Gmail has a two-pane user interface. The emails are on the left, and their content is on the right. In a similar vein, additional apps have also been optimized for the larger screen.
I became used to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and developed a routine. I hardly ever unfolded the phone for the majority of routine tasks, such as making calls, reading and replying to messages, etc. But the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s unfolded screen transformed it into an incredibly large-screen device when it was time to watch, play, or read. It was both enjoyable and useful.
The stereo speaker system is among the things that could have been improved. Even at higher volumes, the speakers lack the weight and richness necessary to make the content genuinely enjoyable. Put another way, I liked to watch content on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold while wearing earbuds.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also includes software that is powered by Google Gemini AI, as we have seen with other Pixel devices. The features that the Gemini AI powers sometimes seem unnecessary. However, there are times when they seem magical, especially with the Gemini Live which can have natural voice conversations.
Your experience with Gemini AI will differ based on your use case and level of AI dependency.
One area where the Pixel 9 Pro Fold could have performed better is battery life. This year’s Fold has a 4650 mAh smaller battery than the Pro XL. This results in a battery life of approximately 12 to 14 hours when combined with a larger screen, that is, if you are using the larger screen frequently. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold can be used for one full day, but no longer. You would have to charge it by almost midnight.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold camera performance
The foldable phone is still developing, as I have mentioned multiple times in this review. Foldable phones frequently have less-than-ideal hardware because of the moving parts, space restrictions resulting from the hinge, and an exceptionally thin profile. Its camera system on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold makes this clear. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s overall camera performance is pretty good, considering that it’s a Pixel phone and Google needs to uphold its reputation. However, compared to the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which I reviewed a few weeks ago, it is not exceptionally good. The camera hardware is different, and there’s a straightforward explanation for that.
Google used a smaller primary image sensor in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in order to keep the device’s profile more streamlined. A 48-megapixel sensor is used in this image sensor. Even though the phone has a 5X telephoto lens, the lenses are also different. For example, the telephoto lens has a narrower aperture at F3.1.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s performance in low light conditions is inferior to that of the Pixel 9 Pro XL due to differences in camera hardware. To keep things brief, allow me to provide a bullet-point summary of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold camera’s performance:
— In good light, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold cameras perform admirably well. They capture a ton of details (look at the photo of bread pakoda or fruits and veggies).
— The colours, whether in low light or good light, are excellent in photos shot with the Pixel 9 pro Fold.
— In low light, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold camera clicks noticeably soft images. There is a loss of detail, particularly with the telephoto 5X lens.
— The video recording is similar to still photography performance: good when the light is ample, grainy when it is not.
— I absolutely love the way Google has utilised all the selfie camera features and the unique design of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold for selfies. There is a feature that lets you use the rear cameras for selfies, and it is just SO MUCH BETTER. Check the comparison photo embedded in this article.
In summary, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s camera system is both flexible and strong. However, it does not reach the very highest standards that the Pixel 9 Pro XL set. And that’s alright because foldable phones present different design challenges. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold boasts the best camera among foldables.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold worth buying?
I think the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is one of the most fun and inventive phones available after using it for more than two weeks. It is also very useful and practical for a foldable phone. Its design is incredibly elegant and sophisticated. Its screens are amazing, its software and features are exceptional and one-of-a-kind, and its camera system is capable.
However, I also think that similar to other excellent foldable phones, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold continues to be a flagship product, valued more for its exclusivity and distinctiveness than for the things it can do. I can’t really enjoy the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to the fullest because of that crease in the inner screen, which annoys me. And that prevents me from giving it my highest recommendation. So, go ahead and get it if you want a special and distinctive phone that you can fold and unfold to wow guests at a party. However, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is undoubtedly the best Pixel this year and among the best phones ever produced, so pick it up.