It’s time: I’m moving my SIM card to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

After a couple absolutely delightful weeks with the new Pixel 9 Pro XL, it’s time to truly take the Pixel 9 Pro Fold out for a real spin. As I said when I first got my hands on the Pixel 9 Pro XL – I really, really love this phone. So much so that I almost don’t want to begin the review process on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

I’m not really a phone reviewer and we generally only cover Google’s own, in-house Pixel devices; so when I find a phone I really like, I tend to stay put. The days of swapping phones every few months are long gone for me, so when device impresses me as much as the Pixel 9 Pro XL has, it’s a big ask for me to part ways with it.

What we’d like to do, however, is make a video reviewing the new Pixel 9 Pro lineup as a whole, giving some insight to the differences, trade-offs and benefits of each of the devices. Joe is spending some time with the Pixel 9 Pro, so I thought it was time to put the 9 Pro Fold in my pocket, get it out in the world, and actually see how I like it.

I’ve been prepped for this

You see, the first Pixel Fold was a bust for me – and that was a little heartbreaking. I’d had a couple foldable phones prior, but I thought there were two main hangups that made me not like them so much: the outer screen size and the lack of Pixel software. The Pixel Fold was meant to remedy both of those things.

To an extent, it absolutely did, but the overall phone wasn’t really better for it. I largely found Samsung’s split-screen and floating windows superior to Google’s large-screen software, and the larger outer screen on the Pixel Fold also meant it had a strange form factor, felt too heavy, and was generally not fun to use.

Since then, I picked up the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and have been generally pleased with it overall. Sure, that skinny outer screen takes a bit of getting used to, but apps work well, I find lots of use in the larger, inner screen, and I was able to carry it around for months without feeling like I was frustrated by it at all.

So, when news of the new, updated foldable from Google emerged, I was both interested and a little wary. Now that I’d grown accustomed to how Samsung does things in the foldable space, could I go back to a Pixel? Would it once again feel like a clunky, odd experience? And would the hardware really be on par with Samsung this time?

Turns out, this new folding phone from Google is a massive step forward, and my time with the Pixel 9 Pro XL only made me that much more ready to dive into the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I’m loving things from the software side on the 9 Pro XL, so I’m not really worried at all, there. And picking up the 9 Pro Fold just once makes you realize they nailed the form factor, build quality, look and feel of this device.

With there not being too much trade-off in the camera department, an ultra-thin build, and a normal, usable outer screen, I think Google may have a winner on their hands this time around. The price – as it does with all foldables – gives me immediate pause, but I’d wager there will be solid trade-in offers at some point down the road a bit. That’s what got me into the Galaxy Z Fold 5 after all.

With all they’ve fixed this time around, I feel confident this will be a very different experience from the first Fold. I’ve had much more experience keeping a folding phone in my pocket at this point, and now that the 9 Pro Fold also has the same, competent Tensor G4 inside as the Pixel 9 Pro XL I’ve been enjoying so much, I don’t have to worry about performance or battery life, either. I’m looking forward to truly testing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and excited to get back to you after I’ve really put it through the paces.