This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
I’ve been using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold for a couple of days now, and I’m already warming up to it - the 8-inch inner panel is (obviously) great for watching videos, and playing around with the countless AI tricks in Google’s Photos app, while multitasking is on a whole other level compared to my iPhone 15 Pro Max.
But I’ll leave the niceties for another time - this quick take is about my very first impressions of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which never lie. In other words, you can quickly get used to using a phone and stop noticing some of its shortcomings, because getting used to things is human nature.
I believe the first few minutes of using a new phone give you a good idea of what the phone-maker could’ve done better - and that’s especially true with folding phones.
And while there are way more aspects of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (or any other phone) I’d want to see improve before calling it “perfect”, here are the three things that made me go: “Uuuh… I might go back to using my “normal” Pixel 8 Pro.”
Pixel 9 Pro Fold is still heavy for a “normal phone” with a 6.3-inch cover screen - I don’t want it in my pocket (but it's great in the living room)
I don’t want to carry the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in the pocket of my shorts but I don't want to use it when I’m in my living room. But… I thought that’s what tablets are for?!
It’s appropriate to note that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is my first folding phone since the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which I bought, used for a month, and returned - because it was too bulky, and nowhere near as good as the “normal” flagships at the time.
Three years later, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold takes me back to 2021 - it’s a dramatically better phone than the Fold 3 in pretty much every single way, but it’s only 14g lighter. My initial impression (which never lies) is that this is still too heavy, and no one can convince me otherwise.
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Google’s new foldable is only 10.5mm thick when closed, which makes it nearly indistinguishable from a “normal” phone (in a case) for me, and it deserves some credit for that.
But weight is one aspect of foldables that shouldn’t be overlooked, and Google is still playing catch-up to Chinese foldables right now. In fact, even the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is noticeably lighter, which is a difference you can feel when holding both in one hand.
If the 260g of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold doesn't seem like much, remember this is a $1,800 folding phone - most people who buy it are gonna want to put a glass protector on the cover screen, as well as a nice case to protect it from falls. This will easily bring the weight up to 300g (or more).
My Pixel 9 Pro Fold still doesn’t look like a “normal phone” compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Oppo Find N2, or Honor Magic V3
Too close... and too far from normal?
Making a very thin foldable is one thing but making a foldable that’s indistinguishable from a normal phone when you use it as one, is a different story. And Google has failed big time here.
The decision to go for a large foldable, importantly, with thick bezels and frame around them, make the Pixel 9 Pro Fold unnecessarily bulky, and I’m reminded of that every time I look at the cover screen.
The super thick frame/hinge that sticks out when using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s cover screen constantly reminds me I’m using a foldable. This isn’t the case with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which hides the hinge/frame extremely well, and makes you think it’s a mini version of the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is indistinguishable from a normal phone when you look at it straight, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold… isn’t. Image courtesy of Zdnet.
Now, don’t get me wrong - it’s not impossible to operate the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with one hand or anything, but the phone looks and feels larger than it could’ve been had Google trimmed down the bezels and the super thick hinge/frame that sticks out, reminding you this is indeed a folding phone.
Ironically, the larger cover screen (compared to that of the Fold 6) appears small and gets lost in the massive bezels and thick frame around it - I find this both visually and practically annoying.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s speakers are not the speakers you deserve for a bulky phone that costs $1,800
I listen to music and podcasts on my phone without a bluetooth speaker, and it’s very obvious that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s speakers are relatively mediocre.
I certainly wouldn’t call them bad speakers (even for normal phone standards), but they don’t come close to touching the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s speakers, which sound dramatically richer and even louder.
In fact, the Pixel 8 Pro also has mediocre speakers but they sound richer, with more bass compared to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s, which do sound a bit louder - so there’s that.
While it’s understandable that dual speakers housed in a 5mm body (when the phone is closed) won’t have the room to deliver the richness you get with a 9mm slab, can’t we get three, or even four speakers - like on tablets?
It’ll also make it harder to block the speakers when you’re holding the phone in certain orientations.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold proves no matter how good your software is, you need a clear vision for the hardware - Google hasn’t figured it out yet
I love the flexibility of a foldable but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold might still be a phone I prefer using indoors.
In the end, my quick impressions of using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold after having ditched the Galaxy Z Fold 3 three years ago, are that Google is still in the process of finding out what the foldable Pixel should look like.
The fact that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold differs so much from the original Pixel Fold, (and the two are only a year apart) speaks volumes. In other words, Google is clearly trying out something different to see if it sticks. And this “different thing” happens to be pretty similar, yet somewhat inferior to what Chinese phone-makers are doing right now.
Don’t be mistaken - there are great things about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold such as the software, multitasking capabilities, and Google’s AI, which is fun to play with.
Personally I’ll take a bit more time before giving a conclusive answer to the question whether the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is worth the money and the hype for me.
But don't take only my word for it! Our Pixel 9 Pro Fold review and comparisons should be coming very soon, giving you a more comprehensive idea of what the phone can and can’t do.
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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.
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