Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is here: Specs, price, colors, availability, and everything you need to know

After a long wait, the successor to the original Google Pixel Fold is finally here! Meet the new Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, ditching the expected “Google Pixel Fold 2” moniker. Google announced it alongside other members of the Pixel 9 series, as well as the Pixel Watch 3 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2. While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold shares its name with the Pixel 9 series, it doesn’t share all of its specifications. Here’s everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold!

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Release date, price, and availability

• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (16GB/256GB): $1,799 / €1,899 / £1,799
• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (16GB/512GB): $1,919 / €2,029 / £1,869

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold was officially announced on August 13, 2024, with pre-orders starting immediately. The phone is available in a 16GB/256GB variant and costs $1,799. We’ve also got a 16GB/512GB variant in several regions bar India, and this model retails for $1,919 in the US.

Just for comparison, the first-generation Pixel Fold launched in the US on June 27, 2023, costing $1,799 for the 12GB/256GB model and $1,919 for the 12GB/512GB model. Yep, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold manages to retain the same pricing despite bumping up the RAM and refreshing the rest of the specifications. You have to hand it to Google for not raising prices when everything is getting more expensive these days, although $1,799 is still a big chunk of change anyway.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is available in two colors: Porcelain and Obsidian. There are only two options to choose from, but the phone looks good in both of these colors, so we’re satisfied.

Surprisingly, Google is making the Pixel 9 Pro Fold available across more markets than its predecessor. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be available in the following countries:

• North America: US, Canada.
• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, UK.
• APAC: Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan.

By contrast, the original Pixel Fold was only available in Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US. Pricing and availability could differ, but we’re still glad to know that more people around the world will be able to own and experience Google’s flagship foldable.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Specs

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold delivers a few notable upgrades over the first-generation Pixel Fold, such as a better processor, an apparent new modem, and taller, brighter screens. However, it’s not a slam-dunk upgrade across the board. Check out our specs table below.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Features

Specs are important for top-tier Android phones, but design and software are equally critical for a good experience. Let’s take a closer look at the Pixel 9 Pro Fold features and changes.

Camera

Those expecting the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to be among the best camera phones might be disappointed. Google’s new foldable brings hardware that will compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. But the likes of HONOR, OnePlus, and others really show what’s possible with the foldable form factor.

Expect a triple rear camera system on Google’s new device, namely a 48MP main camera (1/2-inch sensor), a 10.5MP ultrawide lens (1/3.4-inch), and a 10.8MP 5x periscope camera (1/3.2-inch). The good news is that this is the same main sensor as last year’s Pixel Fold. The bad news is that the two secondary cameras use smaller sensors than last year, suggesting inferior image quality in theory. We’ll need to see whether Google can claw back picture quality via the Tensor G4 chip and its own image-processing software.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also brings a 10MP selfie camera on each screen. The good news is that these shooters bring autofocus, which is a welcome upgrade over the fixed-focus cameras on last year’s Fold. The bad news is that these sensors are a little smaller than last year’s cameras, but we’ll have to wait and see whether image quality suffers as a result.

Otherwise, Google is offering plenty of camera-related features. New additions include a “Made You Look” feature to get toddlers to look at the camera, and an Add Me feature so you can add the photographer to a photo. These join staples like long exposure, astrophotography, Best Take, and more.

Performance

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is powered by Google’s new Tensor G4 processor, bringing plenty of on-device AI features and a modern octa-core CPU (1x Cortex-X4, 3x Cortex-A720, 4x Cortex-A520). We haven’t heard any official details about the GPU, but we know that the processor could be using the Tensor G3’s graphics hardware. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does suggest the chip won’t beat Snapdragon-powered foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 when it comes to peak graphical performance and gaming performance in general.

Google’s foldable also brings 16GB of RAM, and the company specifically mentioned that it reserves a portion of this RAM for AI functionality. So we’re curious to see whether this decision affects multitasking performance. Otherwise, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ships with 256GB or 512GB of non-expandable storage.

Google hasn’t confirmed it yet, but leaks point to the Pixel 9 series getting the Exynos Modem 5400. That would be a big deal as Pixels have long suffered from unreliable, power-hungry cellular connectivity, so a new modem should help matters. We’ll be sure to check whether the Pixel 9 Pro Fold indeed has this new modem.

Screen quality and size

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold screens see major changes compared to the Pixel Fold. More specifically, you’re looking at larger, taller screens with narrower aspect ratios compared to last year’s foldable.

Google’s first-gen Pixel Fold brought a 5.8-inch smartphone display with a 17.4:9 aspect ratio, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers a 6.3-inch smartphone panel with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The new device also offers a larger, 8-inch folding panel with a taller aspect ratio compared to the Pixel Fold’s stubby, landscape-oriented folding screen. So if you want something more in line with a conventional phone, this device might be for you.

Google’s latest foldable phone also has brighter screens, with each panel offering up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness. The cover screen touts 1,800 nits of HDR brightness, while the internal panel brings 1,600 nits of HDR brightness. In contrast, the Pixel Fold touts 1,200 and 1,000 nits, respectively.

The new Pixel is taller and a little narrower than the Pixel Fold, but Google also claims this is the thinnest foldable phone in the US at 10.5mm (or 5.1mm unfolded). It’s not going to beat thinner foldables from HONOR and vivo, but these devices aren’t available in the US anyway. Google also says the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is lighter than the Pixel Fold, but that 257-gram weight means it’s still a little heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 — never mind the Z Fold 6.

Design and build quality

The aforementioned aspect ratio change means we’ve got a taller and slightly narrower Google foldable compared to last year. But we also see a tweaked design in line with other Pixel 9 phones, such as that new rear camera housing.

As for durability, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the smartphone screen and rear cover, as well as ultra-thin glass on the internal display. That should give you some decent peace of mind for a foldable.

An IPX8 rating also returns in 2024. That means the foldable can withstand immersion in freshwater but isn’t rated for dust resistance. You should be really careful with your Pixel 9 Pro Fold if you decide to take it to the beach or on a camping trip.

Battery life and charging speed

Those hoping for battery and charging speeds will be sorely disappointed with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Unfortunately, the foldable phone has a 4,650mAh battery that’s actually a little smaller than the original’s 4,821mAh pack. We really hope the internals are more power-efficient because we never like to see a new phone with a smaller battery than the previous model. Either way, those hoping for a major battery life boost will likely be disappointed.

There’s more bad news on the charging front, as Google’s new foldable sticks with 21W wired charging. The first-gen Pixel Fold offered 21W speeds capable of a full charge in roughly 90 minutes. Between the slightly smaller battery and potential software optimizations, we’re expecting the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to shave off a couple of minutes at best.

We’ve also got wireless charging here, and it should work with any Qi-based charger (although, oddly enough, it does not support the Pixel Stand). Unfortunately, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold tops out at 7.5W wireless speeds.

Software and updates

Google phones are renowned for the Pixel UI software experience, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold runs this skin too. Some of the long-standing Pixel-only features include the Google Recorder, a suite of calling capabilities, Now Playing (passively recognizing music around you), and the ability to select images/text from the recents menu.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also gains a host of AI additions, such as the Pixel Screenshot feature, call recording/summaries, the Pixel Studio image generator, and several more features. These join existing AI features like Google Recorder summaries, the Best Take camera mode, and Audio Magic Eraser.

Google’s new foldable phone brings seven years of OS updates, security patches, and feature drops. That means Google is tied with Samsung for having the best update policy. In fact, we reckon that your Pixel 9 Pro Fold battery will likely die before the phone stops receiving updates.

It’s a tradition for flagship Pixel phones to ship with a brand-new version of Android, but that’s not the case for the Pixel 9 series and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which were widely presumed to come with Android 15. Instead, the phones ship with Android 14. Fortunately, Pixel phones are usually the first to get a new Android version. Since Google is also promising seven years of software updates instead of seven generations of Android platform updates, the presence of Android 14 doesn’t massively change its update situation.

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