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  Google Pixel Fold

  $900 $1800 Save $900

  The Pixel Fold is Google's first foldable smartphone offering some of the finest hardware and software on the market. The device features a 5.8-inch cover display and a big 7.6-inch foldable display. It is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset and is backed by a 4,821 mAh battery.

  Pros

  • Beautiful design and display
  • Large cover screen
  • Comes with all the Pixel features we love
  • Supports wireless charging

  Cons

  • Cover screen might be too wide for some
  • Expensive

  $1800 at Amazon $900 at AT&T $1800 at Verizon

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  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

  $800 $1800 Save $1000

  The latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a powerful Qualcomm SoC, a wider display, a better hinge mechanism, and many significant upgrades over its predecessor. Trade in your current device and score up to $1,000 in savings on your new phone. 

  Pros

  • Beautiful display
  • It's available for less than MSRP
  • Four years of OS, five years of security updates

  Cons

  • Slow charging
  • Too narrow
  • Doesn't close flat

  $1499 at Amazon $1800 at Best Buy $800 at Samsung

Google finally joined the foldable smartphone market with its Google Pixel Fold device, challenging the current king on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. We decided to put the two devices head-to-head and see how the Pixel Fold challenges Samsung’s highest-end foldable smartphone. We compared the price, availability, design, display, camera, and other important hardware and specifications to give you a better idea, and to help you choose your first or next foldable smartphone.

Related: Best smartphones with Stylus in 2023

• 	Google Pixel Fold	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
  SoC	Google Tensor G2, Titan M2 co-processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
  Display	Cover: 5.8-inch, FHD+, OLED, 120Hz, 1,550 nits peak brightness; Internal: 7.6-inch, 2208 x 1840-pixel resolution, OLED, 120Hz, 1,450 nits peak brightness	Cover: 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, Main: 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz
  RAM	12GB RAM (LPDDR5)	12GB
  Storage	256GB, 512GB (UFS 3.1)	Up to 1TB
  Battery	4,821 mAh	4,400 mAh
  Operating System	Android 13, Foldable optimizations	One UI 5.1 based on Android 13
  Front camera	Cover Display: 9.5MP, f/2.2, fixed focus; Inner display: 8MP, f/2.0, fixed focus	4MP f/1.8 under display, 10MP f/2.2 on cover screen
  Connectivity	5G (mmWave and sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC	5G, LTE
  Dimensions	Folded: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm; Unfolded: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mm	Unfolded: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm, Folded: 155.1 x 67.1 x 14.2-15.8 mm
  IP Rating	IPX8	IPX8 water resistant

Google Pixel Fold first-impressions

Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Price & availability

Google’s first foldable doesn’t come cheap, although, in the US, it also doesn’t cost more than the already excellent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Both units retail for the same price, at $1,799. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has been available for more than six months, and it has received massive discounts and bundle promotions. It’s regularly discounted and can be found between $1,200 and $1,500 at various retailers.

The Galaxy Fold 4 offers a starter kit that includes a protective case, and the S Pen stylus, and often comes with various other service incentives, such as a free Disney+ subscription and more. Google’s way to persuade people is by bundling the Google Pixel Watch, free of charge for those who pre-order. It remains to be seen if the special offer remains available after the device becomes available.

Based on Google's history in the past, the Pixel Fold will likely receive discounts in the near future, but as it stands, it’s at least competitive in the US. In contrast, the device costs a considerable £100 more in the UK, making it slightly hard to justify the higher price tag compared to Samsung’s latest foldable. Elsewhere in Europe, in Germany, the Pixel Fold is much cheaper than the Fold 4’s starting price, but the same applies, and the device has been available for some time. It’s available at carriers and stores for much less during promotion periods.

Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Design & Display

The Google Pixel Fold measures 158.7 x 139.7 x 5.8 mm when unfolded, and 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm when folded. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 measures, 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm and 155.1 x 67.1 x 14.2-15.8 mm, respectively. The Pixel Fold is shorter, but wider than the Fold 4, and it’s easily one of the widest devices we’ve seen to date when the device is in a folded state. It remains to be seen how obtrusive this will be in day-to-day use, but it’s clear it’ll be more comfortable if you have large hands.

The Galaxy Fold 4 is the opposite, and it’s narrow, which would suggest it has a smaller display, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the Fold 4 is a tall device. The cover screen on the Fold 4 is 6.2 inches and has a 904 x 2316 resolution and a 23.1:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel Fold has a shorter, but wider 5.8-inch display with a more conventional 1080 x 2092 resolution and 17.4:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel Fold comes with an OLED panel and 120Hz, while Samsung sports its own Dynamic AMOLED 2X display rated for 120Hz.

Looking at the main display, both devices have a 7.6-inch panel and support 120Hz refresh rate. Google’s screen has a peak brightness of 1450 nits, whereas the Fold 4 peaks at 1200 nits, although we believe both panels will hold up well during day-to-day use. The Galaxy Z Fold 4's main display supports the S Pen stylus; however, the Google Pixel Fold does not support any form of stylus input on either the main or the cover screen.

Taking a closer look at the design itself reveals that Google had an entirely different approach, compared to Samsung. It made the cover screen much larger, making it more comfortable and easier to use, at the price of making the entire device wider than normal. This size also lets the company orient the main display in landscape mode, making multitasking and consuming content much easier. Unlike Samsung users, the Pixel Fold shouldn’t require users to change the landscape orientation to watch movies.

The hinge mechanism is also entirely different. Google used a high-friction hinge for rigid positioning, which means that some components aren’t directly placed inside the hinge, but on the sides, which explains the larger-than-average bezels on the main display. This also means that the Pixel Fold doesn’t unfold flat, unless force is used, although this shouldn’t interfere with the general use of the phone.

While we’re on the topic of folding, the Pixel Fold doesn’t have a gap when it’s fully closed, whereas Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a large gap in the middle and doesn’t shut flat, enabling small objects to get in the middle, and potentially damage the main display.

The crease is still visible in broad daylight but appears less intrusive than on the Galaxy Fold 4. As for waterproofing, the Pixel Fold comes with the same IPX8 rating as the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The only difference is that Google split the Pixel Fold into two parts, and decided to waterproof both halves of the device, making the hinge submersible. The Pixel Fold’s gap in the middle shouldn’t cause any damage, and water should never make it into the internal components. However, we’d still recommend you to keep your electronics away when by the pool or beach – after all, it’s not dust resistant, and small particles could likely cause damage, to both devices.

Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Camera

The Google Pixel Fold comes with a 48MP f/1.7 primary camera, a 10MP f/3.1 telephoto capable of 5x optical zoom, and another 10MP ultrawide with f/2.2. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 sports a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera, a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide.

The Pixel Fold has an 8MP f/2.0 front-facing camera on the main display, and a 9.5MP f/2.2 sensor on the cover display. The Galaxy Fold 4 has a 4MP under-display camera on its main screen, and a 10MP f/2.2 on the cover screen.

In terms of hardware, both devices have a competitive setup, and the two companies are some of the best smartphone camera makers in the industry. The new Galaxy Z Fold 4 can capture beautiful photos day and night, resulting in breathtaking shots that look good on all screens.

Google is bringing its excellent computational photography to the Pixel Fold, and we have high expectations for the device, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it dethroned the Galaxy Fold 4 from its current position, and took the crown as the foldable with the best camera. However, that’s all speculation for now, and we’ll have to run the tests in our full review.

Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Performance

The Google Pixel Fold is powered by the Google Tensor G2 SoC, the same chip that powers the Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and the recently announced Pixel 7a. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. Both devices have 12GB of memory and 256/512GB storage options, although Samsung does offer a 1TB configuration in select markets. Both devices use the same UFS 3.1.

Regarding performance, both devices provide equally impressive results while playing graphics-intensive games, and the foldables have plenty of power to use multiple apps simultaneously. While the Google Tensor G2 isn’t as powerful and doesn’t provide the same impressive numbers as the Qualcomm chips in benchmarks, it’s still exceptional and up for any task.

When it comes to software, both foldables run Android 13. It’s likely that Google’s Pixel Fold will receive Android 14 first, and in a typical Google fashion, it’s possible that Pixel Fold users will be eligible for future Pixel Drops and Android Beta and Developer previews. That said, Samsung has done some fantastic work in the past, and if history is any indication, then Galaxy Z Fold 4 users should be able to receive Android 14 by the end of 2023, and early 2024.

Google says it’ll provide five years of updates to the Pixel Fold, but it’s worth noting that the company doesn’t explain how many of those years are for OS and security updates. Based on the Pixel 7 series, we expect three years of OS and five years of security updates. On the other hand, Samsung provides four years of Android OS updates and five years of security patches.

Staying on software, the Pixel Fold supports two-window multitasking, and it has a dock in the middle that lets users access recent apps, and the app drawer to drag-and-drop apps on either half of the screen. Samsung has a similar taskbar and pinnable dock on the bottom. However, the company allows up to four windows on the Fold 4’s display. One on top, one on the bottom left, and another on the bottom right.

There’s an additional option to pop out an app by moving it in the middle, and the entire configuration can be swapped to the user’s liking. Samsung certainly offers more versatile and more powerful controls for power users, but we’re glad to see these options arrive to the Pixel Fold.

Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Battery

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 sports a 4,400 mAh battery, while the Pixel Fold has a 4821 mAh cell inside. In theory, the larger display cover display, combined with the main display should draw more power than the Pixel Fold, resulting in a worse battery life, but it’s simply too early to tell whether that’s the case. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 can comfortably last a full day on a single charge, while power users will almost certainly need to top up at the end of the day to keep the lights on.

The Pixel 7 Pro has a decent battery life, although it’s nothing to brag about. It raises a few questions about whether the Pixel Fold will be able to provide decent battery life and last a full day on a single charge, but it's clear that user experience will vary based on different use cases. That said, Android 13 comes with many optimizations, and Android 14 should help make the Pixel Fold last even longer, thanks to the new enhancements and features.

Both devices support wireless charging, and the Pixel Fold supports 30W fast wired charging. The Galaxy Fold 4 only supports 25W wired charging speeds, and it’s fair to say that neither of these devices are fast compared to the likes of Xiaomi, HONOR, HUAWEI, and OPPO’s foldable devices that often support 60W wired charging speeds or more. That said, the Pixel Fold provides ever so slightly faster speeds, and we’re glad to see the device finally reach the 30W charging rate.

Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Which one should you buy?

As a Galaxy Z Fold 4 user, the Google Pixel Fold is exciting, and it provides the innovation, competition, and the same Pixel experience that we have all come to fall in love with. It’s exciting to see Google join the foldable flagship race, and the Pixel Fold doesn’t appear to be a quick thought or a rushed product. At first glance, it doesn’t look like a first-generation device, but we’ll have to take it for a spin to be able to say whether it’s worth your hard-earned cash.

For now, as things stand, you should wait for our full review to see if you should buy the Pixel Fold over the Galaxy Z Fold 4. However, it’s clear that power users who want decent photos, better multitasking options, and a more futureproof device should look for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Sure, Samsung isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but the Fold 4 is also cheaper, and with the Fold 5 right around the corner, it’ll likely receive even more price cuts in the coming months.

As an alternative, the HONOR Magic Vs is the first device that comes to mind that offers competitive performance, a larger cover screen than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, features, and the same excellent design. Unfortunately, the Magic Vs isn’t available outside Europe and Asia, and those in the US will have to import from other countries if they want to try HONOR’s latest foldable.