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My Pixel Fold will never be a better foldable than the Galaxy Fold - we need another redesign

By Martin Filipov

Published: Nov 09, 2024, 7:08 AM

27comments

This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

My Pixel Fold will never be a better foldable than the Galaxy Fold - we need another redesign

I’ve been using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold pretty much since launch, and Google’s second attempt at a foldable has managed to convince me folding phones are here to stay - even if they won’t be everybody’s cup of tea.

Even though this isn’t a long-term review, I’ll go ahead and put it out there - the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a very solid PHONE - not just a folding phone.

When we put aside the familiar Pixel shortcomings like the OK battery life and mid-range chipset, Google’s latest foldable has incredible displays (arguably the brightest panels on a foldable), great day-to-day performance, more than good enough cameras, and it actually feels great to hold and use… for the most part.

Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that (for me), the foldable experience with the Pixel Fold starts to fall apart once I open it up. And if the goal of buying this phone is to “open it up”... Mountain View, we’ve got a problem!

I hate to say it, but the Pixel 9 Pro Ford's biggest (8-inch) problem might be a major dealbreaker for some (like me)

To get right to the point, even though the inner 8-inch screen of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold might just be the brightest and (technologically) best folding phone screen on the market, the square aspect ratio (and overall size) Google’s gone for is simply… awkward.

The square 8-inch panel is actually perfect for running two (regular phone size) apps side by side - it’s literally like having two large Pixel phones glued together, which quite simply lets you do twice as much… at once.

It’s called “multitasking”, iPhone users. I know it sounds exotic, but you’ll get the idea one day.

The problem comes when you find out the “running two apps side-by-side” thing is just about the only advantage of having a large square display at your disposal.

Typing is by far my least favorite thing to do on the 8-inch screen of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, because of the square shape and large and awkward (for typing) screen size.

Google’s imperfectly (almost) perfect square isn’t perfect for a foldable. What?!

The even bigger problem is that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is pretty much a square and no matter which way you turn it, so the typing experience simply never feels right, and that’s a dealbreaker for writers like me.

Add to that Google’s horrible keyboard experience (I tried Microsoft Swift - it’s just as bad), and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold becomes a no-go for someone who types all day long.

To be fair, your mileage might vary - especially if your hands are larger, but I still believe the square nature of the screen isn’t ideal for typing.

A side effect of having a nearly perfect square for a screen is the super-large black bars you get when watching YouTube videos - that’s a ton of wasted viewing space. In fact, turning around the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (to its horizontal orientation), will give you a slightly larger YouTube picture, and that’s despite Samsung’s foldable having a noticeably smaller display to begin with.

I’m not buying another Pixel Fold if Google doesn’t change the square aspect ratio - just make it like the Galaxy Fold

The rectangular shape of the Fold 6 gives you a larger viewing area on YouTube even though the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is noticeably larger.

All in all, this design choice turns out to be the biggest issue I have with my Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which happens to automatically push me towards the obvious alternative - the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (which I now consider switching to).

I’m pretty much convinced the rectangular Fold 6 is what a foldable should look and feel like now (perhaps a bit larger?) as you can easily type with two hands, holding the phone in the (obviously) correct (vertical) orientation.

And of course, you can just spin it around to get the extra horizontal space if you need to run 2/3 apps at once, or watch videos - or if your hands are extra large and that’s how you want to type on the inner screen.

All in all, I’ll keep using the 2024 Pixel Fold simply because I already have it, but if I had to make a choice (again), I’d choose the Fold 6 over the Pixel without hesitation.

Of course, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has some extra imperfections, but (to me) they aren’t nearly as annoying as the square aspect ratio, so I won’t discuss them in detail here. The most obvious design flaw are the thick bezels on the cover screen, as well as the even thicker frame around it.

But simply put, if the inner display feels underutilized and uncomfortable to use for basic things like typing and watching videos, this results in a major problem for the FOLDABLE Pixel, which relies on that inner screen to justify its existence. It’s really no rocket science.

Samsung shouldn't get rid of the rectangular Fold design

The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition isn't as rectangular as the Fold 6. I hope that's where Samsung draws the line.

Now, am I saying Google should go back to the (vastly different) original Fold design? Maybe… Maybe not. Perhaps the perfect compromise will be to copy the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s aspect ratio, or I suppose make the screens a bit larger while keeping the rectangular shape, which feels just right for both typing and watching videos.

Or you know… make a Huawei Mate XT trifold competitor? Just kidding. Google is 5 years away from that.

In the end, one thing I must bring up (since I’m using Samsung as a positive example here) is that the actual latest Galaxy Fold, the “Special Edition”, has a screen that’s more similar in shape and size to that of the latest Pixel Fold. And that’s slightly concerning for those (hello) who prefer the rectangular shape of the Fold 6. In other words, I hope the Special Edition Fold isn’t Samsung’s long-term plan for the Fold series. Or at least not the only one.

Are you with me, or are you with me?

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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.