The mobile phone segment is experiencing a new turning point. Indeed, this year, manufacturers other than Samsung are offering more attractive offers than usual. In the lot we find a telephone triple foldable or our Pixel 9 Pro Fold of the day. Truly impressive devices that hide behind overly complicated names and above all a software part that lacks functionality and finish. After almost a month with Google’s most expensive phone, here is my opinion.
Robust, elegant, thin, flat
There are many “positive” adjectives to qualify this Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I was lucky enough to own the very first Samsung folding phone many years ago as well as several of its iterations. The first thing that impresses me here is the format offered by the giant Google. Once closed, the device is completely flatapart of course from the square which houses the photo sensors. On the other hand, the smartphone is really fineonce opened, the screen is barely thicker than the USB Type-C connector!
That’s not all, the hinge gives a very good feeling of rigidityit is not the “strongest” however. Highlight of the show, the screen on the front, although a little surprising in image and the size of a “normal” phone. A godsend for use in “closed” mode. It must be said, even if you have a foldable phone, you will use the front screen more often anyway. Its handling is therefore very important.
Pleasant external screen, impressive internal screen
As I just mentioned, the screen on the front really offers a very good format which is close to a classic smartphone. Despite its somewhat surprising edges, nothing hinders its use. Getting started is immediate and you can even use it with one hand.
Regarding the internal screen, it offers a much more interesting format than Samsung’s folding one. I would like to point out that I talk a lot about the South Korean manufacturer for the simple reason that you have certainly already seen one once, so it is the best point of comparison in terms of design. This eight-inch screen therefore offers a 1:1 format which is suitable for both productivity and entertainment. Note that the camera is not placed under the screen and that the fold is still noticeable. For the rest, it’s flawless: LTPO OLED screen, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2700 nits, all with a resolution of 2076×2152 pixels.
Lack of features
Si le Pixel 9 Pro Fold defends itself brilliantly on its design and its characteristics, it nevertheless struggles to impose itself in the functionalities. Having a big screen is good, being able to use it is better. Unfortunately Google is still young in this segment and it shows. To begin with, you should know thatit is not possible to display more than two applications at the same time. Worse still, you can’t choose how to split them, but just change the size of the “windows”.
Another point to improve is the taskbar. This cannot be attached to the bottom of your phone. To make it appear, you have to slide your finger from the bottom to the top. Basically perform the same gesture as to close your applications. You must therefore go slowly or risk missing the famous bar. After a few weeks of use, I’m still wrong. So there is still work to be done on ergonomics.
In other remarks, I note that no stylus is compatible and that very few applications are responsive to using your phone half folded.
Recessed camera
Maybe it’s my biggest regretI am rather disappointed with the photo part offered on this Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Unfortunately, in the foldable segment, the observation is the same everywhere. It’s difficult to find a good reason for this phenomenon, but with the prices charged, it’s a shame to find ourselves here with sensors of lesser quality than those offered on “high-end” standard phones.
Whether in normal light, 5x zoom, gray day or night, the images lack clarity and color. Here are some examples.
Be careful, the rendering is far from bad, but it remains slightly below the more standard ranges.
The best folding on the market, but room for improvement
After several weeks of cohabitation, I don’t know how to better describe the proposition of this Pixel 9 Pro Fold. He is for me, the best folding on the market in terms of design and manufacturing. It has the most natural format known with the possibility of offering a truly “very” large screen for your entertainment. Unfortunately, once opened, it’s not much more than just that big screen. It can display, at best, two applications simultaneously. Obviously, I put things in context each time and here, you should know that Google is only on its second product in the segment. The software part is therefore not yet mature. The good news, is that with a very solid hardware base, everything else can be fixed through updates.
Google’s proposal is very good. I’m still a little unsatisfied and I think that the manufacturer must lower the price of the phone by CHF 200 to end up with a price of CHF 1500.
If you are looking for a device that stands out from the crowd and will fit perfectly in your pocket while offering a gigantic, beautiful screen, then you have come to the right place.
Overall rating 8/10
The +:
– Manufacturing quality
– Effective hinge
– Very natural general format
– Fully usable front screen
– Two quality screens
– Two biometric sensors (landscape/portrait)
– Successful design
– Battery life in mixed use (7 hours of screen)
THE –
– Software that lacks features
– Recessed photo sensors
– Prix
Buy the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in Switzerland
Pixel 9 Pro Fold full specifications
Here are the full specifications of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold in list form:
- External screen :
- Size: 6.3 inches
- Resolution: 2424 x 1080 pixels
- Type : OLED
- Refresh rate: 120Hz
- Internal screen :
- Size: 8 inches
- Type : OLED
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz adaptive
- Processor :
- Google Tensor G4 (4 nm)
- Octa-core (1x 3,1 GHz Cortex-X4 + 3x 2,6 GHz Cortex-A720 + 4x 1,92 GHz Cortex-A520)
- Memory :
- RAM : 16 Go LPDDR5
- Stockage : 256 Go ou 512 Go (non extensible)
- Operating system :
- Battery :
- Capacity: 4650 mAh
- Fast charging: 21W (wired), 7.5W (wireless)
- Charge sans fil : compatible Qi
- Cameras :
- Back :
- Principal : 48 MP (f/1.7, OIS)
- Telephoto: 10.5 MP (5x optical zoom, f/3.1)
- Ultra-large : 10,5 MP (f/2.2)
- Front: 10 MP on both screens
- Back :
- Dimensions and weight :
- Unfolded: 155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1 mm
- Folded: 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5 mm
- Weight: 257g
- Materials :
- Corning Gorilla Glass Protection
- Aluminum frame
- Water resistance :
- Connectivity :
- 5G (sub-6 GHz et mmWave)
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Wi-Fi 7
- USB Type-C 3.2
- Others :
- 2D face unlock
- Fingerprint sensor
- NFC, GPS, Glonass, Galileo
- Colors available :
