Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold Evaluation in Progress: A New Design Goes a Lengthy Approach

Google’s foldable cellphone has had a glow up. The Pixel 9 Professional Fold is the successor to final yr’s Pixel Fold, Google’s first foray into the more and more crowded foldable cellphone market, however you would not know simply by taking a look at it. 

Whereas Google’s second-gen foldable has all of the upgrades you’d anticipate from a brand new cellphone in 2024 — together with a brand new processor and fancy AI options — it is the recent design that makes it really feel completely different. With its narrower but bigger cowl display screen, Google is straying from the Pixel Fold’s passport-like form and choosing a design that extra intently resembles a daily cellphone when closed. That shift makes the Pixel 9 Professional Fold really feel rather more sensible than its predecessor. 

With the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, Google neatly takes cues from its usually well-received line of normal Pixel telephones when it comes to design and options, leading to a tool that really appears like a competitor to these made by Samsung and extra seasoned foldable cellphone makers. 

However at $1,799 (£1,749, AU$2,699), the Pixel 9 Professional Fold nonetheless would not remedy the largest drawback plaguing at present’s foldable telephones: excessive costs. Whereas the {hardware} has come a great distance, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s software program nonetheless would not really feel as tailor-made to foldable screens as Samsung’s. And for a cellphone that prices practically $2,000, the bar is ready excessive for each the {hardware} and software program expertise. 

I’ve solely been utilizing the Pixel 9 Professional Fold for a number of days, so I am going to have extra to say about it after spending extra time with it. To date, it appears like an enormous step in the fitting path for Google’s foldable cellphone, though I am nonetheless hoping to see extra compelling software program. 

Learn extra: Do not Purchase a New Cellphone Only for AI — at Least Not But

Watch this: First Look: The Pixel 9 Professional Fold Will get Vital Upgrades

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The Pixel 9 Professional Fold will get a significant design improve

As an alternative of calling it the Pixel Fold 2, Google is looking this cellphone the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, and it is easy to see why. In comparison with the Pixel Fold, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold seems and appears like a completely completely different cellphone, virtually as if Google began from scratch.

The quilt display screen measures 6.3 inches similar to the common Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional, in comparison with the Pixel Fold’s smaller but wider 5.8-inch show. Contemplating I have a tendency to make use of foldable telephones closed more often than not, this dimension enhance is a welcome enchancment. Regardless that the large internal display screen is what makes telephones just like the Pixel 9 Professional Fold stand out from conventional bar-shaped telephones, it is the exterior display screen that I depend on probably the most for on a regular basis duties like snapping photographs and answering textual content messages. At 9.1 ounces (257 grams), the Pixel 9 Professional Fold additionally feels a lot lighter than the 10-ounce Pixel Fold.

The inner display screen additionally received a much-needed improve. It is now brighter and measures 8 inches as a substitute of seven.6, offering more room for enjoying video games, scrolling by way of social media and watching motion pictures or exhibits. The change I respect probably the most, nonetheless, is not the display screen itself, however the borders surrounding the show. Google considerably slimmed down the bezels, which fits a great distance in making the display screen really feel extra immersive. The crease feels much less noticeable in comparison with the Pixel Fold, too. 

There isn’t any query that the Pixel 9 Professional Fold is a minimize above the Pixel Fold with regards to design. However how does it stack as much as telephones from Samsung and Xiaomi? The 8.4-ounce Galaxy Z Fold 6 is much less vast and noticeably lighter than Google’s cellphone, which may make it really feel extra compact. Xiaomi’s Combine Fold 4 is lower than 0.2 inches thick when unfolded, making it even slimmer than each Google and Samsung’s gadgets.

Design is not often a very powerful ingredient of a smartphone, however foldable telephones are the exception. It is the bodily traits and attributes of telephones just like the Pixel 9 Professional Fold that command such excessive costs, and I am glad to see Google is transferring in the fitting path in that regard.

Google Pixel 9 Professional’s cameras are nice for a foldable

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s cameras aren’t fairly as superior because the Pixel 9 Professional’s. However they’re ok to persuade me that I am not making any main sacrifices by choosing the Pixel 9 Professional Fold over Google’s top-tier normal cellphone.

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold has a 48-megapixel predominant digicam, a ten.5-megapixel ultrawide digicam and a ten.8-megapixel telephoto digicam, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional has a 50-megapixel predominant digicam, 48-megapixel ultrawide digicam and 48-megapixel telephoto digicam. The Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s entrance selfie digicam has a 10-megapixel sensor, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional’s has 42 megapixels.

To date, the largest distinction I am seeing in picture high quality between the Pixel 9 Professional Fold and the common Professional is, unsurprisingly, within the ultrawide and selfie cameras. Ultrawide photographs taken on the common Pixel 9 Professional seemed extra vibrant and colourful than these taken on Google’s foldable cellphone, whereas the selfie I took on the 9 Professional Fold got here out a lot softer and fewer detailed than the Professional’s. (The photographs under might look related on this article, however I seen the variations when viewing them on a 27-inch monitor.)

Pixel 9 Professional Fold

Pixel 9 Professional

However the Pixel 9 Professional Fold performs favorably towards its greatest rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, in some circumstances. Whereas each telephones are able to taking vivid and colourful photographs, the images I’ve taken with the principle digicam in daylight and low mild on Google’s cellphone seemed a bit extra colourful. 

Pixel 9 Professional Fold

Galaxy Z Fold 6

Regardless that Samsung can take nearer zoomed-in photographs (30x in comparison with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s 20x, although each telephones rely totally on digital zoom), photographs taken at 20x zoom on Google’s cellphone seemed a lot crisper and cleaner than these taken with Samsung’s. Nevertheless, I used to be shocked to see that Samsung’s ultrawide photographs look sharper than Google’s.

Pixel 9 Professional Fold

Galaxy Z Fold 6

Cell images may be subjective, and every cellphone has its personal strengths and weaknesses with regards to digicam efficiency. However based mostly on what I’ve seen up to now, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s digicam appears akin to what you’d get from a high-end, nonfoldable cellphone — accurately, given its excessive value. 

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold additionally comes with the identical AI images and picture era options as the remainder of the Pixel 9 lineup. These embrace Add Me (which makes use of augmented actuality that can assist you take a gaggle photograph with everybody within the image), the generative AI-based Reimagine (for manipulating and including objects in photographs) and the Pixel Studio, which you’ll be able to study extra about in our different evaluations. 

However there’s a function that is distinctive to the Pixel 9 Professional Fold: Made You Look. This digicam mode, which is designed for foldable telephones, makes it simpler to take photographs of youngsters who refuse to have a look at the digicam by placing enjoyable animations on the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s entrance show. I have never been in a position to take a look at this out for its meant function simply but, however I sit up for seeing the way it works subsequent time I go to my toddler nephew. 

Cut up display screen is helpful, however Google may do extra with the software program

The Pixel 9 Professional works properly as a miniature pill when opened. Movies and pictures look vibrant on the 8-inch display screen, and you may view two apps in cut up display screen mode alongside each other. Dragging and dropping footage from Google Pictures to the messages app additionally works easily. So does dragging recordsdata from Google Drive to Gmail.

I want to dedicate the whole display screen to 1 app, however there are some cases during which I appreciated the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s split-screen capabilities. For instance, with the ability to view Spotify and Slack on display screen on the identical time undoubtedly got here in helpful for squeezing in a exercise on my lunch break throughout the work day with out lacking vital messages. 

If in case you have YouTube TV, you may additionally have the ability to watch a number of streams of sure packages, like sporting occasions and a few information packages, directly. However this function is not unique to the Pixel 9 Professional Fold; it is also out there on different Android telephones, iPhones, iPads, sensible TVs and streaming media gamers. And if you’re viewing a number of streams, they do not occupy the whole display screen.

Google may be doing extra with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s software program in different methods, significantly when the cellphone is folded midway. Whereas some apps reminiscent of video streaming apps and the digicam can shift to the highest portion of the display screen when the cellphone is folded in an L form, most do not. As an alternative, nearly all of apps run throughout the show like a waterfall, making it laborious to navigate and look at them when the cellphone is sitting midway open. On the Galaxy Z Fold 6, apps conform to the highest half of the show accordingly when the machine is propped open midway, virtually resembling a miniature laptop computer.

It is a disgrace that Google hasn’t embraced an analogous method, as a result of one among my favourite elements of utilizing book-shaped foldable telephones is having the choice to prop them open and use them as a kind of miniature show. After I’m cleansing or placing away laundry, I like having the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 propped open on my desk or dresser whereas Spotify is operating in order that I can scroll by way of playlists and swap songs simply with out having to bodily choose up my cellphone. You’ll be able to kind of recreate that have by opening the Pixel 9 Professional Fold like a tent and utilizing the duvet show, however Samsung’s determination to place controls on the underside half of the display screen makes navigating the machine a lot simpler. 

That mentioned, a handful of video games are optimized for the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s show, displaying its potential as a gaming machine. Some video games, like Asphalt Legends Unite, show gameplay on the highest portion of the display screen, whereas the controls and a map are proven on the underside half. Others, reminiscent of NBA Infinite, are able to taking on the whole display screen. Whereas these optimizations are a superb instance of how foldable telephones can stand out from common telephones, I do not see it as being a motive to purchase a foldable just like the Pixel 9 Professional Fold till nearly all of Android video games are able to operating on this method. 

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold launches with Android 14, marking a departure from Google’s regular behavior of releasing new Pixel telephones with the model of Android that got here out throughout that yr. I think about that is as a result of Google launched its flagship telephones sooner than regular, so it arrived earlier than the general public launch of Android 15 is prepared. Regardless, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold will get seven years of Android and safety updates, which means it’s going to get new options — and stay secure to make use of — by way of August 2031, like the remainder of Google’s new Pixel gadgets.  

Other than foldable-specific options, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold has the identical new AI options as the remainder of the Pixel 9 lineup, together with the Pixel Studio picture generator, the Screenshots app for primarily turning your display screen grabs into a visible search engine, AI-generated climate summaries and extra. You’ll be able to study extra about these options in our full evaluations of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional XL. 

Battery life and efficiency impressions up to now

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s 4,650-mAh battery is able to lasting greater than a day on a single cost in my expertise up to now. After about 14 hours of use on a day that concerned visiting mates and utilizing my cellphone sparingly for issues like net shopping, taking photographs and taking part in music, the battery was right down to 53%. 

However take into accout battery life will all the time range relying on how you employ your machine. For those who’re utilizing the Pixel 9 Professional Fold for watching motion pictures, taking prolonged video calls, recording video or audio or taking part in video games for an prolonged time period, the battery goes to empty rather more shortly.

I am going to have extra ideas on the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s battery life, together with outcomes from CNET’s battery checks, as soon as I’ve had extra time with the cellphone.

Google’s Tensor chips aren’t essentially identified for being powerhouses, however the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s efficiency is quick sufficient for every part I have been utilizing the cellphone for, reminiscent of taking part in video games, operating a number of apps side-by facet and watching movies. The interface additionally feels slick and easy, doubtless due to each the processor and the show’s 120Hz refresh price.

Pixel 9 Professional Fold early ideas

The Pixel 9 Professional Fold is one more signal that maybe shopping for a first-gen product, particularly from Google, is not the wisest alternative. The Pixel 9 Professional Fold, with its extra polished and sensible design, appears like an enormous leap over the unique. 

For a tool like a foldable cellphone that is already inherently clunkier than a daily cellular machine, design enhancements are extra than simply superficial aesthetic modifications. Making foldable telephones thinner and lighter, whereas increasing the sizes of their screens, makes them really feel extra pure and pleasurable to make use of. And for a tool that you just’re shopping for largely for the display screen, that is vital.

Mix that with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s succesful cameras, and there is a lot to like about Google’s second-gen foldable. It jogs my memory of how I felt concerning the Pixel Watch 2 final yr. The primary Pixel Watch confirmed loads of promise but additionally had some key shortcomings just like the Pixel Fold, which Google then improved upon with its second watch. 

With the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, Google has clearly found out the {hardware}. Now, I simply need extra from the software program.

I am going to have extra detailed ideas and impressions on the Pixel Fold 9 Professional in my full evaluation as soon as I’ve had extra time with it.

How we take a look at telephones

Each cellphone examined by CNET’s evaluations staff was truly utilized in the true world. We take a look at a cellphone’s options, play video games and take photographs. We look at the show to see if it is vivid, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes utilizing standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark, together with our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and taking part in graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.

All of the cameras are examined in quite a lot of circumstances from vivid daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like evening mode and portrait mode and evaluate our findings towards equally priced competing telephones. We additionally try the battery life by utilizing it day by day in addition to operating a collection of battery drain checks.

We bear in mind further options like help for 5G, satellite tv for pc connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus help, quick charging speeds and foldable shows, amongst others that may be helpful. We stability all of this towards the worth to provide the verdict on whether or not that cellphone, no matter value it’s, truly represents good worth. Whereas these checks might not all the time be mirrored in CNET’s preliminary evaluation, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.