Ive said it several times before.
I like big phones, and I can not lie.
Ive been on the big phone bandwagon since the firstSamsung Galaxy Notelaunched way back in 2011.
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Hell, I was even on board with Lenovo and Googles AR monstrosity, thePhab2 Pro.
So youd think I would have embraced foldables with open arms.
But something is holding me back, a few somethings actually.
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Theres the exorbitant $1,800 (to start) price tag.
Thats a lot of money to ask for any phone.
And when it comes to smartphones right now, theres almost nothing more ostentatious than unfurling your gear.
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Because you dont launch the Pro Fold, you dont unfold it; you unfurl it.
And when you do, youre met by a flexible, ultra-thin glossy piece of glass for the display.
Its a little jarring at first, but crease-blindness quickly sets in.
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The exterior display has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover.
The rear panel is also Gorilla Glass; however, its matte instead of glossy.
The rear-mounted camera sensors jut out in a rectangular module with rounded corners.
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The only other thing on the back is the shiny G, designating this as a Google gear.
This is a major problem I have with a lot of OEMs.
Does premium automatically mean that the color must be business casual?
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Yes, its a stately and elegant gear, but I demand a Rose Quartz foldable!
Moving on, the Pro Fold has a durability rating of IP8 for water resistance.
As with most foldables, the Pro Fold lacks a dust ingress rating due to the hinge.
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Speaking of the hinge, it runs the length of the phones seam and protrudes ever so slightly.
Due to its glossy finish, its an absolute fingerprint magnet.
Its lighter and slimmer than last years model (9.9 ounces, 5.5 x 6.25 x 0.23 inches).
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The 8-inch, 2076 x 2152 OLED Super Actua display has a lot to like.
To the naked eye, the panel is an explosion of color.
I watched a 4K Dolby Demo video, and it was stunning.
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Gaming, however, is another story.
It was a grisly, beautiful sight.
I also read through some of my favorite news sites and watched more than a few game theory videos.
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Speaking of which, as nice as the Pro Folds massive screen, its missing something a pen.
As a huge S-Pen user, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is begging for a stylus.
All I wanted to do was to launch one of my coloring book apps and let loose.
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It seems only natural as foldables tend to target heavy productivity uses.
But enough about the massive interior screen.
Theres a gorgeous screen on the front of the Pro Fold thats begging for some attention.
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At 6.3 inches, the front Actua display is only slightly less massive than its interior counterpart.
But that doesnt mean its less pretty with its 1080 x 2424 OLED panel and 20:9 aspect ratio.
And just like the larger interior screen, the front screen is plenty bright.
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Walking around the neighborhood, the front display was my main driver.
Next up you have Dual Screen Preview and Rear Cam Selfie.
It can also be used during Google Meet Calls.
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And finally, theres a dual screen Live Translation mode so both parties can have an unstilted conversation.
Needless to say, Im pretty well versed in Android and all its ins and outs.
For a few minutes, up was down, left was right, and I was straight-up discombobulated.
But even this old dog can learn some new tricks.
It only took a moment to acclimate myself to the new world order.
Soon, I was swiping up to dismiss apps to the best of my abilities.
What I didnt see, and wont until October, is Android 15.
Although this is a new Pixel phone, I can dive into the beta version of the operating system.
For this review, I am stuck with Android 14.
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Since its a Google Phone, the company has promised seven years of OS and security updates.
But the star of the show has to be Reimagine.
From there, Add Me stitches the two images into one group shot.
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I used Pixel Studio to create some prospective logos for an upcoming project and was impressed by the results.
Theyll be a good reference point for a graphic designer.
Google is also using Pixels to continue making the case for Gemini Advanced.
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Although free, Google plans to charge $20/month to access its AI.
So, what will $240/year get you?
A chattier digital assistant.
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After you pick your preferred voice, you could gab it up with Gemini in real-time.
And while thats all well and good, theres the issue of privacy.
For Gemini to work its magic.
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You have to consent to Google keeping a record of your calls, screenshots, and other user-generated content.
Its going to be something to consider in the coming months.
I ran Geekbench 6 on the Pro Fold to get some concrete numbers.
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The single-thread score was 1,939, and the multithread score was 3,601.
Compare that to the Pro Maxs 2,975 and 7,438.
Still, the foldable endured my abuse and emerged relatively unscathed.
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However, the ultrawide camera got a bump to 10.5MP (/2.2 aperture) from last years 10.8MP sensor.
On another note, the front and interior cameras were upgraded from 8MP to 10MP.
The Pro Fold takes great pics without using Googles prodigious editing tools.
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They didnt have that lurid glow from an oversaturated HDR shot.
I took a few close-up shots of my puppies napping on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
In an awake shot of Natasha, you could see her light gray eyes.
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However, no matter the lens, I got rich color and crisp details.
In one of my favorite shots, you could see the jagged edges of the peeling paint.
The shot of the train passing by was taken two city blocks away.
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The individual building lights looked like shiny blobs.
The rear selfie shot was the best, as my skin and hoodie looked the best.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Review: Battery
Will it fold on battery life?
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Googles promising all-day battery life from the Pro Fold and its 4,650mAh battery (well see about that).
Its worth noting that the other Pixels in this generation have larger batteries.
The Pro XL has a 5,060mAh battery, while the Pro and Pixel 9 have 4,700mAh.
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Its thinner and lighter, but its still one of the heaviest foldables on the market.
Im unsure if people will pay $20/month for the pleasure.
Each of the displays is vibrant and dazzlingly bright.
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Just be mindful of that rear panels potential to get noticeably warm.
As usual, the cameras are one of the best things about the Pixel machine.
I wish we could have gotten a more substantial upgrade on the telephoto camera.
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And as a selfish want, foldable makers need to start seriously thinking about adding pens to the mix.
But Im not ready to make the $1,800 investment.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
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