My time with the Pixel 9 Pro XL has me very excited for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

I’ve already talked at length about my early feelings for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Between the build quality, the screen, the cameras, the battery life, the performance, and the video quality, I’m once again a big fan of Pixel. It’s been a few years since I’ve been able to say that, and I’m happily back in the Pixel game once again.

Of the new offerings from Google, the Pixel 9 Pro XL lines up best with my use cases, and before switching over to it, I’d been back to a standard slab phone in the Galaxy S23 Ultra for a bit. I still have my Z Fold 5 and plan on keeping it around, but with all the activities we get into during the summer months, I just felt better having a more standard form factor in my pocket.

However, fall is rapidly approaching, and as much as I’m loving the Pixel 9 Pro XL, I also have to admit that I miss that big screen in my pocket with the Z Fold 5. With Google really delivering on the hardware and software front this year, though, I have been pretty torn about what my next move may be. Stick with the Pixel 9 Pro XL or sacrifice all I love about this new Pixel phone for that luscious, big Z Fold 5screen?

Another choice is coming

It seems the choice might not end up being between these two devices, however, as we now have the Pixel 9 Pro Fold on the way to the office for review. I’ll admit, much like I was with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, I have been a bit hesitant to embrace Google’s new foldable.

The first iteration of the Pixel Fold was OK, but it nearly had me walk away from folding phones altogether. While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 rejuvenated my hopes for what I could expect from a folding smartphone, the Pixel Fold remained a ho-hum take on the form factor for me; and I simply wasn’t sure about even thinking about the new one.

However, as I’ve spent time with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, I’m realizing there is a definite chance that I’ll have the same experience with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. If the hardware updates are on the level that the Pixel 9 Pro XL is, I may need to rethink my position on this phone.

Additionally, performance was a concern with the original Fold, and that should be alleviated to an extent this time around. Instead of a year-old SoC inside, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets the same Tensor G4 and 16GB of RAM that I’ve been totally enjoying on the 9 Pro XL.

Sure, it’s not the fastest phone on the market by a wide margin, but I’ve not noticed it once since using the 9 Pro XL. And if this sort of battery life, performance, thermals, connectivity, software, and hardware are all in store for the 9 Pro Fold, there’s a chance it could be one of the most enjoyable foldables I’ve ever used.

Still, I’m a bit hesitant. My experience with the original Fold was not great, so I really need to wait and see what the 9 Pro Fold is capable of. From early looks, it is an impressive piece of hardware. If it can pull off all of the things I’m loving so far about the 9 Pro XL, I feel like I might love it, too. But it’s going to have to be an absolute knockout to make up for that steep price tag.