Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a major departure from the company's first foldable. The passport-style design is gone, and now the outside screen is much bigger. Both displays get way brighter, and the 9 Pro Fold picks up all the latest Gemini AI and Pixel camera software features. It's a sleeker, much more refined device, but it costs an eye-popping $1,800.
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TechTranscript
00:00Okay, the leaks are over, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has arrived.
00:04Not the Pixel Fold 2, no no.
00:07See, Google's folding phone now shares the same name as this year's other Pixels.
00:12And that means you're getting the same Tensor G4 processor, the same Gemini AI software
00:17tricks, and some fun new camera capabilities.
00:20But this is the Fold, and the hardware is what you're here for.
00:24Now in a world where Samsung keeps putting out the same Galaxy Z Fold year after year
00:29with some minor refinements, Google's second take on a foldable is way different from the
00:34first.
00:35And hey, I liked the Pixel Fold a lot.
00:37Its short, squat, passport-style design gave it a unique look compared to all the competition.
00:43It had character, and it was easy to use in one hand.
00:46Well, except for one thing.
00:48The weight.
00:49I'm a 6'1 man with large hands, so I've always gravitated towards max, ultra, big
00:54phones.
00:55But even for me, the Fold's heft was often less than ideal.
00:58The new one feels so much lighter.
01:01Maybe the taller design helps distribute those 257 grams better, but either way, it's a
01:06big difference in your hand.
01:08And it's still so damn thin.
01:10So yes, the passport form factor is gone.
01:13With the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you're getting a whole-ass phone on the outside, and a whole-ass
01:18tablet on the inside.
01:20Seriously, the 6.3-inch outer display is pretty much the same size as the Pixel 9 and the
01:25Pixel 9 Pro.
01:27I thought I would miss the old style, but I was wrong.
01:30Once you hold it, it's so obvious that this is the way.
01:33And once you open it, you're greeted by a huge 8-inch screen.
01:38Both displays have a peak brightness of 2700 nits, which will do much better than the first
01:42Fold when you're outside in the sun.
01:44This is the OnePlus Open, and right now, it's as close as you'll come to the Pixel 9 Pro
01:48Fold.
01:49It's the same idea.
01:50Nice, normal phone on the outside, and an expansive screen once you open it up.
01:56I love editing photos on these things, and it's proven to me that this is the right
02:00design for a foldable.
02:02Now, one problem Google had last year was that many apps weren't optimized for the
02:06wider aspect ratio of the inner display, so they had black bars on both sides.
02:11The 9 Pro Fold should have less of a problem there, since many apps will now use the full
02:15screen by default.
02:16That's also been my experience on the OnePlus so far.
02:19Oh, and did I mention that Google's new phone actually opens and lays flat this time?
02:24The first Fold didn't really go flat unless you kind of forced it a bit, whereas the new
02:27one just opens and snaps right into place without any issue.
02:30Everything about this hardware just feels more thought through this time.
02:33I just hope the speakers are better.
02:35That was another one of my gripes with the OG Fold.
02:38As for software, you get all the same features as the rest of this year's lineup.
02:42You can get creative in Pixel Studio and make whatever kind of art you want.
02:46There's a new Pixel Screenshots app that can understand what's in your screenshots and
02:50make it easier to find those things later on.
02:53Sort of like Microsoft Recall.
02:54And the camera picks up new tricks like AdMe.
02:57That's where someone can take a group photo, hand the phone to someone else, and then jump
03:01into the frame.
03:02You'll get a composite shot that makes it seem like they were there all along.
03:06Becca has a great video on everything new with the Pixel camera this year, so be sure
03:10to check that out.
03:11I'm very excited about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
03:14That name less so, but the hardware is very impressive.
03:18It's a big change from Google's first approach to a foldable, but I think this is the right
03:22direction to go.
03:23There are plenty of unknowns, battery life, performance of that Tensor G4 chip, and a
03:28lot more.
03:29That'll have to wait for the full review.
03:31And let's not forget that this phone costs $1,800, whereas Samsung and Motorola each
03:37have cheaper flip foldables.
03:39No such luck if you're a Pixel fan.
03:41At least this year, there are more regular Pixels to choose from than ever before.
03:46We're just scratching the surface of what's new in the Pixel hardware lineup today.
03:49So there are new earbuds, new watches, a bunch of phones.
03:53So for the whole story, check out theverge.com.