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When it comes to foldable phones, Google is somewhat new to the game. The company actually introduced support for foldable phones in Android a while ago, but it was only in 2023 that the company launched their first ever foldable, the Pixel Fold. Now they’re back with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but how does it hold up vs other phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6? Let’s find out!
Design
Design wise, both phones couldn’t look more different from each other. We have to say that Google really stepped things up in the design of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It looks like a Pixel phone, but there’s a certain refinement and elegance in it. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks good too, so it’s really a matter of preference in terms of aesthetics.
As for their dimensions, the Fold 6 measures 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm when unfolded, and 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm when folded. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold, however, measures 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5 mm when folded, and 155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1 mm when unfolded. This means that in terms of thinness, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold wins vs the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Interestingly enough, the weight of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is heavier at 257 grams while the Fold 6 weighs in at 239 grams. There is a reason for this which we will get to in a moment. But if you want a thinner phone, the Pixel is the winner, but if you want a lighter one, the Fold 6 is a better choice.
Display
There is actually a good reason why the Pixel 9 Pro Fold weighs more than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. This is due to the inner and outer displays of the phone. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 6.3-inch external display with a 2424×1080 resolution and a refresh rate of 60-120Hz. It has a peak brightness of up to 2,700 nits. The inner foldable display is also pretty massive at 8-inches. It has a 2076×2152 resolution with a 1-120Hz refresh rate, and up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness.
As for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, its external display measures 6.3-inches with a 2376×968 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness. The inner display measures 7.6-inches with a 2160×1856 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and also 2,600 nits of peak brightness.
It’s safe to assume that the larger internal display plays a role in adding to the overall weight of the phone. However, the weight could be a worthwhile trade-off if you want a larger screen to view your media on.
Performance
As for performance, unlike other foldables that typically use the same Qualcomm chipset, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold couldn’t be anymore different vs the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold uses Google’s own Tensor G4 chipset. As for the Fold 6, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
Qualcomm’s chipset is one of the most powerful chipset in the market today. As such, you can probably expect top-of-the-line performance. However, one advantage that Google has is because they are essentially the developer of Android, they can easily optimize it to make sure that the Tensor G4 is more than capable of supporting all of its features.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also has a slight advantage of having more RAM. It packs 16GB of RAM and comes in 256GB or 512GB storage options. The Galaxy Z Fold 6, however, only comes with 12GB of RAM, but it does go all the way up to 1TB of storage.
Cameras
Cameras on foldables usually feel like an afterthought. Samsung does a decent job with its cameras, but Google’s software and image processing capabilities are something you shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss. Image processing can be subjective, so let’s look at the actual hardware.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a triple camera setup on the back. This includes a 48MP wide camera with a f/1.7 aperture, a 10.5MP ultrawide with a f/2.2 aperture, and a 10.8MP telephoto with a f/3.1 aperture. It is accompanied by a 10MP selfie cam with a f/2.2 aperture.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 also sports a triple camera setup on the back. It has a 50MP main wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 10MP telephoto with a f/2.4 aperture, and a 12MP ultrawide with an f/2.2 aperture. It has a 10MP f/2.2 front-facing camera.
On paper, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 seems to have better cameras vs the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, we have said that megapixels don’t always carry that much weight, but given how much you’re paying, it might be something to think about.
Battery
When it comes to battery life, both phones are nearly on par with each other. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a larger 4,650mAh battery while the Fold 6 has a 4,400mAh battery. The difference of 250mAh does make a difference, but at the end of the day, it really depends on how you use your phone.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports fast charging of speeds up to 45W, while the Fold 6 only caps out at 25W. If you’re someone that needs quick charging, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the clear winner, along with its larger battery.
Pricing & availability
Lastly in terms of pricing, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is actually cheaper vs the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. It is priced starting at $1,799 while the Fold 6 retails for $1,899. There is a difference of $100, and some of you might think it’s worth the extra to get a Qualcomm chipset and higher-resolution cameras.
However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold does feature larger displays, and it is a Pixel device which means you’ll have first dibs on new updates. So that’s something to take into consideration as well.
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