Foldable phones have been pretty popular lately, like the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip. At least, popular among the technological push for foldable screens. Folding screens have been a tech race for a while, like with LG’s rolling screens. A new competitor was just announced at this month’s Google I/O conference: The Google Pixel Fold. With just how thin it is compared to its competitors, this smartphone showcases just how powerful Google’s technology can be in the palm of your hand. These are our impressions of the new phone so far.
The Exterior: Your Classic Smartphone
On the outside (or when folded up) the Google Pixel Fold looks like an ordinary smartphone. A screen on the front, and a normal back panel. Of course, it opens like a book to reveal the tablet-like display inside. But when closed, this phone functions perfectly. The cover screen is 5.8 inches for a not-too-large and not-too-small area where you can watch, type, call and scroll. The OLED screen gives you a beautiful depth of precise color and some of the darkest black levels.
While the outer screen is exceptional, its camera lenses are true stars of this smartphone as well. The triple rear camera system takes regular photos as well as selfies, while the front display packs a 9.5 MP cam for selfies too. A 10.8 MP ultrawide rear lens, a 48 MP main rear lens, and a telephoto lens crafted for 5x optical zoom make the Google Pixel Fold ready for just about any shot you need to capture. Plus, an interior 8 MP camera is made for selfie mode from inside the Fold, too. That’s a total of five cameras…which is a lot. If you don’t like the photos you’ve snapped, use any of Google’s adjustments to update them, from Photo Unblur to Magic Eraser.
The Interior: A Tablet-Like Experience Unlike Any Other
What’s truly magical about the Google Pixel Fold is what you see when it unfolds. Inside is a 7.6-inch OLED display with functionality that users can customize. From split-screen to classic open mode to tent setting, the Fold is flexible. Use both sides to do two things at once (almost like you have two tabs open on a computer). Even open two apps at once. Snap photos hands-free in tent mode, and watch a movie in beautiful OLED on the massive interior screen. It’s all powered by the Google Tensor G2 chip. And it all flips closed and folds away for the thinnest foldable screen yet.
Our Thoughts
We’re definitely impressed with the Google Pixel Fold’s performance and flexibility, especially when it comes to just how many ways you can use this phone to multitask. Whether you’re a content creator, a photo-snapper, an avid streamer or love reading, you can definitely do it all with this model. The ability to open multiple apps within one phone is promising, too. When it comes to the body, it’s sturdy but heavy. That’s not the worst thing, but it’s something to note. The Google Pixel Fold weighs about 10 ounces vs the classic Pixel’s 7 ounces. That’s a big jump. In return, you are getting an extra screen. What likely contributes to the boost in weight are the metal hinges. Decent battery life, so many cameras, and lots of ways to be used. If you’re comparing it to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold models, they’re close together in performance. The Google version brings fresh features to a field dominated by the Galaxy models and their experience on the market. If we were picking, the choice would be a tough one.
Finally, the price tag attached to either of these phones is considerable, so doing your research with posts like this is a necessity.
If you’ve pre-ordered the Google Pixel Fold and fall in love with it, let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear whether we hit the nail on the head, or if we missed some of the best features you’ll love using.
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