Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s a powerful phone, just not foldable enough

During my test, I unfolded the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold less often than expected. Why? Firstly, the 6.3-inch outer display’s already great to use. Secondly, when I unfold the device to its full size, I never know if an application will be easily usable on the 8-inch screen, or whether there’ll be a huge black frame around the app.

Google’s foldable closes flush and comfortably. At 1 cm thick, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s only slightly thicker than a regular smartphone.

When opened, the foldable measures 15.5 × 15 × 0.5 centimetres. It’s almost square. With its rounded edges and corners, the phone sits well in my hands when it’s open. But at 257 grammes, I find it too heavy to hold with one hand for prolonged periods. But what do you actually need the large screen for?

Large OLED display for films and photos

When unfolded, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers an eight-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 120 hertz. It also delivers a brightness of 1,600 nits (2,700 nits peak brightness) and a resolution of 2076 × 2152 pixels. This ensures sharp images, strong contrasts and dark blacks. The fold can be seen and felt quite well, and I can easily ignore it when viewed from the front.

Due to the almost square format, videos are hardly displayed larger than on the outer screen. Only the black frame at the top and bottom gets bigger. What’s handy, however, is that I can fold up the smartphone to watch videos. If I do that, apps such as YouTube switch to a view in which the video plays at the top and the controls are displayed at the bottom. That’s a great feature. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 does the same thing.

The large screen is a real benefit for images, allowing them to unfold in all their glory. I often use it when painting with watercolour, as the large screen’s great for my reference photos. Much better than a regular smartphone screen. This is definitely my favourite Pixel 9 Pro Fold feature.

The cameras in combination with the large display

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold cameras take beautiful pictures that aren’t overly sharpened or bright. Its large display offers me a good overview of the desired image section or entire results.

The camera equipment isn’t quite on par with the regular Pixel 9 Pro’s. The main camera can also be used for selfies. Here are the specifications of the five cameras:

• Wide angle: 48 MP, F/1.7
• Ultra wide angle: 10.5 MP, F/2.2
• Telephoto camera: 10.8 MP, F/3.1, 5× optical zoom
• Front and inner camera: 10 MP, F/2.2

I use the main camera to take regular photos, which are reduced to 12 megapixels thanks to pixel binning. In other words, several adjacent pixels are combined into one, increasing light sensitivity and ultimately image quality.

Alternatively, I can use the full 48 megapixels and set it to RAW. I used this combo when I couldn’t carry a bulky camera with me.

These images are also easier to edit on the phone. I usually do this on the computer, but the eight-inch display’s large enough to see plenty of details in the photos, enlarge them and still have a good overview.

Speaking of size, the zoom’s also great. It offers up to fivefold optical zoom in good quality. I even like the blurred tenfold zoom on my fountain motif. In any other cases, I only recommend using the digital zoom if you really have to.

I’m disappointed when it comes to night shots. They’re never sharp. Then again, the selfies make up for this – both taken on the front or main camera. I like the results.

Mini e-reader thanks to book apps

I enjoy reading books and comics. But, unlike my phone, I don’t always carry a book with me. That’s why it’s handy that I can open up the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to do some reading with the Google Books app. This even works without an Internet connection if I download the book in advance.

Google Maps for getting around better

On the large screen, Google Maps almost feels like a real map. The Disneyland map, which I downloaded for my upcoming vacation, also unfolds its potential perfectly at twice the size. Having said that, the app does have a thick black frame around it, despite Google cooperation. But it’s still larger than on a regular smartphone.

Gaming on the large smartphone screen? Not great.

When playing the beautifully presented Genshin Impact, I was disappointed with the big screen. Unfortunately, almost half of it remains black. Samsung shows that this can be done better with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, where I can play on the entire screen.

In theory, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s Google Tensor G4 chip would be powerful enough, even if it’s not the most powerful in comparison. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performs slightly better in both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Honor Magic V3. At least I can play Genshin Impact smoothly on the Pixel foldable’s regular external screen and even at high graphics resolution.

Sofa shopping with split screen

I generally don’t like shopping, whether it’s for household appliances or clothes. But sometimes it just has to be done. So I force myself to buy essentials on my phone. With the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, I can do this snuggled up on the sofa and on a large screen. That makes it more fun. And I can compare my selection on the split screen.

App pairs can be saved on the home screen – for example, if I regularly use two shopping sites at the same time or often need YouTube and my notes app side by side. What a luxury!

Art and notes? Nope.

For me, a foldable needs to allow me to do some scribbling. After all, that’s what the large screen’s for. Unfortunately, there’s no official stylus from Google that would allow me to do some doodling. Too bad!