Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Pixel 9 Pro XL: The clash of the tongue-twisters
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Intro
Google is doubling down on foldable phones this August, as the Pixel Fold successor was just released alongside the Google Pixel 9, Google Pixel 9, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
However, this foldable doesn't carry the Google Pixel Fold 2 name, no; instead, Google has picked the Pixel 9 Pro Fold moniker, likely to boost the synergy with the rest of the lineup.
Regardless of the name, the new foldable is arguably the most intriguing one, it could contest the top spot with the also fresh and new Pixel 9 Pro XL. That one is also pairing Google's top-end software with some pretty decent hardware, and is objectively the best-spec'd one.
Which should you get, the standard top flagship or the trendy foldable phone?
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Pixel 9 Pro XL differences and similarities:
| Pixel 9 Pro Fold | Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|
| Google's second foldable with a new hinge, more squarish design | Aluminum body with flat design |
| 8-inch inner and 6.3-inch outer screen with 20:9 aspect ratio | 6.8-inch QHD+ OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate |
| Google Tensor G4 on deck with 16GB RAM | Google Tensor G4 (4nm) and 16GB of RAM |
| Triple camera with redesigned camera island | 50MP + 48MP ultra-wide +48MP 5x telephoto cameras |
| Just two storage versions: 256GB, 512GB | Four storage tiers: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB |
| Android 14, Gemini AI, and seven years of software support | Android 14 out of the box, AI features, seven years of software support |
| Smaller 4,650mAh dual-cell battery | Larger 5,060mAh battery on deck |
Also read:
- Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: here comes the rivalry!
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold preview: will the next Google foldable soar high?
Table of Contents:
Design and Display Quality
Google's new design language
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold has scored a pretty drastic redesign. Yes, this one is still going to be a foldable phone like the first-gen Google Pixel Fold, but it looks quite different and very evolved.
Unlike the previous Pixel Fold, which was more rectangular when unfolded and wide when folded, the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold is more squarish in comparison, with a slightly taller cover screen that will still be wider than the one on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, for example.
Another important change is the camera island at the rear. Gone is the camera strip at the rear that spanned side-to-side, Google is treating us to a massive rectangular bar at the rear. This change definitely distances the new foldable from the Pixel Fold, but is mostly in line with the general design cues for the rest of the Pixel 9 series.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL, on the other hand, is a traditional candy bar phone with a matte rear back panel and glossy flat side frame, which inherits the general design language of older Pixel flagships. The 3D Visor of older Pixels is also gone here, substituted for a slightly different camera island at the rear.
Colors-wise, the foldable Pixel 9 Pro Fold is coming in Obsidian and Porcelain colors, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL will be available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Rose Quartz, and Hazel.
In terms of what displays each of these two phones would feature, the Pixel 9 Pro XL boasts a 6.8-inch Super Actua screen with 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate. It's an OLED one and can hit 3,000 nits of peak brightness, building upon the 2,400 nits that the Pixel 8 Pro could achieve.
Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold come with two screens, an 8-inch internal and 6.3-inch cover screen. The outer screen is a 20:9 one with 60-120Hz smooth refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on top; meanwhile, the inner screen has a 20:18 nearly square 8-inch display, with smoother 1-120Hz refresh rate and with Ultra Thin Glass on top.
Both screens can achieve up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness, which makes the Pixel 9 Pro Fold one of the foldables with the brightest screens.
Performance and Software
Tensor G4, reporting for duty
Both the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Pixel 9 Pro XL come with Google's Tensor G4 chipset.
Built on a 4nm manufacturing node, the Tensor G4 is Google's AI-centric chipset that power the whole Pixel 9 series. What separates the Tensor line of chips from most other mobile chipsets like Qualcomm's Snapdragon, Apple's Bionic, and Samsung's Exynos is that Google's chips are not focusing on raw performance, but are tightly specialized in AI and machine-learning processing.
And indeed, all Pixel 9 devices arrive with Gemini Nano with multi-modality, which is exclusively run on the Tensor G4. Google says this one is the most capable on-device AI model, which is capable of not only understanding text and speech, but also images and audio.
Both phones come with 16GB of RAM, which is a critical hardware requirement for on-device AI. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is available with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, but you can get the Pixel 9 Pro XL with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage.
Both phones will receive major Android updates, Feature Drops, and security patches for seven years, or until summer 2030.
Android 14 is available on both out of the box. Android 15 will arrive later this year.
Camera
The Pixel camera experience
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with a similar camera setup as its predecessor. The new Pixel 9 Pro Fold arrives with a 48MP main camera with an f/1.7 aperture and average 1/2" sensor. The 10.8MP telephoto offers a 5X optical zoom, while the ultra-wide is a 10.5MP one with a 1/3.4" sensor. There are dual selfie cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, both weighing in at 10MP. You can use either to unlock your phone.
As a refresher, last year's Pixel Fold came with a very familiar 48MP main camera, a 10.8MP ultra-wide, a 10.8MP telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom, and two selfie cameras, a 9.5MP external and an 8MP internal one.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL, on the other hand, comes along with a better camera setup. We get a 50MP main camera with an f/1.68 aperture and large 1/1.31" sensor. The ultra-wide and 5X telephoto are both 48MP cameras, with fairly large apertures of f/2.8 and f/1.7, respectively. Thanks to sensor-cropping and hybrid zoom, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers optical-quality zoom at both 2X and 10X despite lacking dedicated cameras for those specific zooms, which definitely boosts the versatility of the camera package.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold can achieve a maximum of 20X Super-Res Zoom, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL goes further to 30X. This hybrid zoom mode delivers very decent long throw despite either phone lacking a dedicated periscope.
The company has shown time and time again that it can squeeze out way more "image quality" out of the same hardware setup with software and algorithm intergenerational upgrades, so we have high hopes for either device.
AI will also play a pretty big part in either camera. Both will come with the following features: Pro controls, Add Me, Macro Focus, Night Sight, Astrophotography, Portrait Mode, Face Unblur, Long Exposure, Action Pan, Real Tone, Panorama, Top Shot, and Frequent Faces. Both devices also support the AI-powered Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Best Take, Photo Unblur, Zoom Enhance, and Portrait Light.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also gets Tabletop mode that lets you take hands-free shots, Dual Screen Preview, and Rear Camera Selfie (which should deliver better results than either of the 10MP selfie cameras).
In terms of video, the Pixel 9 Pro XL allows 8K video capture at up to 30fps thanks to Google's cloud-based Video Boost service, which has reportedly been improved considerably. Natively, the phone still maxes out at a native 4K@60fps video capture.
Battery Life and Charging
Potentially great
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold boasts a 4,650mAh battery, which is sadly noticeably smaller than the 4,821mAh battery inside the original Pixel Fold.
This probably means the Pixel 9 Pro Fold wouldn't have a drastically better battery life than the first Pixel Fold. However, that one came with the Tensor G2 chipset, so the jump to the Tensor G4 could potentially even things out with improved efficiency and mostly equal battery endurance, or so we hope.
So far, it's expected that the Pixel 9 Pro XL will feature a 5,060mAh battery, slightly larger than the one on the Pixel 8 Pro. Paired with the Tensor G4, which should be quite efficient if previous Tensor chips are of any indication, the battery should deliver a fairly decent battery life.
The Pixel 8 Pro scored above-average battery life in our custom battery tests, so we expected the same from the Pixel 9 Pro XL as well.
Google advertises 24+ hour battery life on both the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Pixel 9 Pro XL. With Extreme Battery Saver on, the foldable can last up to 72 hours, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL up to 100 hours!
Specs Comparison
Here's how the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Pixel 9 Pro XL specs could compare:
| Specs | Pixel 9 Pro Fold | Pixel 9 Pro XL |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1mm Folded: 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5mm | 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm |
| Weight | 257gr | 221gr |
| Screen | 8" main screen, OLED HDR 1-120Hz, 2700-nit peak brightness 6.3" cover screen, OLED, 20:9 aspect ratio 60-120Hz, 2700-nit peak brightness | 6.8" OLED HDR 1-120Hz 20:9 aspect ratio 2700-nit peak brightness |
| Processor | Google Tensor G4 (4nm) | Google Tensor G4 |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 16GB/256GB 16GB/512GB | 16GB/128GB 16GB/256GB 16GB/512GB 16GB/1TB |
| Cameras | Main: 48MP, f/1.7, 1/2" sensor, OIS, EIS Ultra-wide: 10.5MP, f/2.2, 1/3.4" sensor size, OIS, EIS Telephoto: 10.8MP, f/3.1, 1/3.2" sensor size, 5X optical zoom, OIS, EIS Internal selfie camera: 10MP, f/2.2 External selfie camera: 10MP, f/2.2 | Main: 50MP, f/1.68 Ultra-wide: 48MP, f/1.7 Telephoto: 48MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom Selfie camera: 42MP, f/2.2, AF |
| Battery Size | 4,650mAh | 5,060mAh |
| Charging Speeds | USB-C | USB-C 37W wired charging 23W wireless charging |
Which one should you buy?
From a hardware perspective, there are many similarities and common hardware elements on both. However, it's the software that brings these two together.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold surely elevates Google's foldable phone game, but it's the Pixel 9 Pro XL that's arguably the best new Google device. It offers the best features and is the most advanced among the Pixel 9 bunch.
The foldable device, on the other hand, is advanced in other ways and would surely offer a lot to the right customer.
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