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Grabbing top marks on any benchmark is a feat that any phone maker would be proud of. Ranking number one for cameras or displays is goal that most manufacturers aim for and as you’d expect, these achievements are usually held by five or so brands including Apple, Samsung, Oppo and Huawei. In recent years, Google has moved its way up the camera rankings list thanks to the Pixel’s solid camera hardware and Google’s computational camera wizardry only found in the Pixel family.
When it comes to displays, Google has made a respectable showing with the latest Pixel 7 lineup taking three spots in the top 20 of DXOMARK’s coveted smartphone benchmarks. An impressive feat for a relatively young phone maker that isn’t primarily a hardware-focused company.
With foldable phones still being an emerging market, you wouldn’t expect to see many devices of this form-factor topping any of the DXOMARK benchmark lists. Even Samsung, who has pioneered the foldable phone market, couldn’t squeak into the global top 25 of the best phone displays. Even in the exclusive “ultra-premium” segment, the Z Flip 4 only came it at 22nd place with the Z Fold 4 falling in behind at 26th. Not a massive surprise as R&D for foldable screens likely leans heavily into durability and less on overall screen quality.
So, when DXOMARK tested the all-new Pixel Fold, expectations weren’t set very high that Google’s first foldable would make too much of a splash. And…. I was completely wrong. Yesterday, DXOMARK published its review and benchmarks for the Pixel Fold and while it was a bit disappointing to see the camera at 27th among ultra-premium devices, I was utterly shocked to see that the Pixel Fold’s display not only made the top 10 but is tied for first place with the Honor Magic 5Pro.
Read that again. Tied for first place with the Honor Magic Pro 5. Google’s first swing at a foldable device has beat out not just every foldable but every 2023 smartphone on the list. That includes the latest iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra and even Google’s own Pixel 7 Pro. This is an amazing accomplishment for any foldable but even more extraordinary considering it’s a first iteration for a software-forward company.
DXOMARK has become an industry standard for camera, display and audio ratings for smart phones and OEMs strive to get the best scores possible when a new flagship device is launched. The display benchmark aggregates scores from tests including readability, motion, artifacts and color. The top 10 devices on the DXOMARK ratings fall in the 140-150 range with the Fold and the Honor Magic Pro 5 putting up an impressive 151. The only test that the Fold didn’t excel in was artifacts which included things like screen flicker and reflectance.
Early reviews are out and, for the most part, are positive for the fold. Long-term reviews will be crucial to determine whether or not Google has cemented a place in this market but this DXOMARK rating is a huge step in the right direction for the Fold to be a true contender in the niche foldable space. Find the full DXOMARK review and ratings here.
