Photo: Julian Choccato
Compared to the Pixel 9 Pro, this device has some odd omissions. The outer screen (the one you’ll use most) doesn’t feature the LTPO technology that would allow the display to dynamically ratchet from 1Hz to 120Hz. This would be a more battery-efficient process, but instead the Fold only goes from 60Hz to 120Hz. It’s a minor thing, but again, it’s just annoying to spend $1,800 only to find out you don’t get this flagship feature. teeth You can see it on the inside screen.
Other Pixel phones allow you to wirelessly charge other devices, like your earbuds’ charging case, with a feature called Battery Share. I’ve never felt the need to use this feature, but it’s not available on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Also, some camera features aren’t present, like Cinematic Blur, which adds a portrait mode effect to videos. Oh, and the device is IPX8 rated, so you can submerge it in a pool, but beware of dust (avoid the beach).
The most annoying issue is wireless charging. Although the device supports it, it doesn’t work with Google’s own Pixel Stand Gen 2 wireless charger because the coils aren’t aligned. (Google says the Pixel Stand has been discontinued, but stores still sell chargers.) Interestingly, I tried other charging stands I had on hand to see if wireless charging would work, and the answer was no. Well, it did work to some extent. Some work when the phone is held landscape, while others don’t work when placed portrait on the stand. You’re better off using a charging pad that lays flat.
Overall, the camera system is similar to the Pixel 9 Pro’s, but not exactly the same. The results are generally great, but I noticed that in low-light conditions, the images from the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras were noticeably less sharp than their cheaper siblings. I also don’t like the fact that the selfie camera on this phone doesn’t have autofocus. It’s nice to have a great rear camera for taking selfies, but sometimes you don’t want to stretch out the whole camera, and in those cases, you won’t get as sharp a photo as you would with the Pixel 9 Pro.
All these little nits add up to make the Pixel 9 Pro Fold feel a little… weird. It works well enough for people who want a mini tablet, and I prefer it to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but Google needs to work on improving feature parity so that when you get your hands on the company’s most expensive hardware, you don’t feel like you’re missing out on the latest and greatest.
