Should you switch to a folding phone? Google’s annual deluge of new product – the ninth iteration of its Pixel phone series – marks the arrival of a better, more sorted Pixel Fold. At the same time, the standard Pixel line-up has also expanded, with a new Pixel 9 Pro XL taking the top slot.
We’ve road-tested both the regular Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The latter is a definite step on from the original Google Pixel Fold, even if it shares that device’s extremely high price. It’s thinner, lighter, longer-lasting and now comes with Google’s much-vaunted AI assistance, an integral part of this current generation of Pixel phones (and watch and earbuds).
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs Pixel 9 Pro: which is right for you?
Despite the epic internal screen, the new Fold is only a smidgen thicker that the Pixel 9 Pro and a few millimetres wider, an impressive feat of miniaturisation. As before, the hinged screen is the weak point; anecdotal evidence regarding the previous generation suggested it was marginally more delicate than a regular smartphone and that any failures were more catastrophic. It is theoretically repairable, nevertheless, with industry leader iFixit offering a comprehensive set of parts and instructions for its predecessor, so expect new guides soon.
The Fold certainly spoils you – once you've used one for a bit, it's hard to go back to a ‘regular’ screen, especially for watching videos and editing photographs. Pair it with a compact Bluetooth keyboard and you have an ultra-compact, albeit pricey laptop. You can even angle the screen to 90 degrees and expand a keyboard across the lower half, creating an even tinier laptop substitute.
A folding smartphone can effectively be used just like a regular device most of the time: the party-trick screen expansion only needs to come out when it's absolutely necessary, not just as an embarrassing flex. Indeed, the vast majority of people won't even notice that you’re using a folding phone, as the design is so well integrated, with its smart and sturdy steel hinge. Unless you're a perennial show-off, they can stay in the dark.
If the added functionality and scale feels completely superfluous, how does the new Google Pixel 9 Pro stack up in comparison? As mentioned, the Pixel range has grown somewhat with the introduction of another size, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which becomes the top tier (non-folding device). With a 6.8in screen, the 9 Pro XL is bigger than the old Pixel 8 Pro (6.7in) – the new Pixel 9 Pro is now shrunk down to a 6.3in screen. This is the same size as the new entry-level Pixel 9, which lacks some of the features and camera functions of the Pro models.
We road-tested the Pixel 9 Pro, and although the size deflation was initially a bit jarring after the relentless but subtle year-on-year growth of smartphones, it’s actually quite refreshing to take a physical downgrade. Nothing else about this phone is a step down, however, apart from the battery size (the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 5060mAh battery, equivalent to the old Pixel 8 Pro, whereas the smaller Pixel 9 Pro makes do with a 4700mAh battery). Box-fresh phones have box-fresh batteries, and it’s only six-to-eight months down the line that you start paying attention to battery life.
The big question is whether the combination of a new chip (Google’s own Tensor G4) and a massively increased reliance on power-hungry AI computing will sap the battery at a faster rate than ever before. Naturally, this depends on how much you wish to rely on the powers of Gemini. Google wants you to go all-in, having spent the past 18 months or so preparing the market for Gemini’s capabilities as a smart digital assistant that replaces a traditional search engine.
‘Our ultimate goal [is to make] AI helpful for everyone,’ the company claims and in the short term the benefits are placed squarely on photography, more of which later. However, Gemini also operates as an overlay on regular apps (with permission), adding a layer of automated suggestions and search functions. All new Pixel Pros also come with 12 months of Gemini Advanced, a subscription-only service that adds more depth and breadth to the responses, together with Gemini Live.
Consider the latter as a search engine you talk to, with excellent voice recognition and the ability to splice together several different strands of information in a coherent, conversational way. Apart from a few superficial chats about the weather, and asking it to do a couple of sums, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what Gemini can do. Google clearly believes the current strain of AI is most valuable in assistant form, rather than as a content generator.
With that in mind, both devices also give you Pixel Studio, Google’s AI-powered image creation app, now with the newest Imagen 3 engine. Google’s generative AI came under fire earlier in the year when it was found to be an enthusiastic creator of various offensive images, thanks to some malicious prompters.
You’re either an enthusiastic fan of generative AI or consider it to be a mortal enemy of creation; in our experience, it’s a novelty experience that swiftly tips into banality. Proponents claim that the tech is improving all the time, but to what end? We asked Pixel Studio to ‘show me an accurate image of a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold smartphone open on a desktop’, and this is what we got (below). The lack of self-awareness is surprising and also a little bit concerning.
The Pixel range is now broader than ever, with a flagship device that might just change the way you use your mobile. It’s still a very intentional experience opening up a folding phone, more akin to getting a laptop out and doing some serious work rather than just noodling about on a handset. If that appeals, then consider the Google Pixel 9 Fold Pro as your new pocketable powerhouse. If straightforward smartphone use is more your thing, then the new Pixel 9 Pro is the best new phone around.
Google Pixel 9 Pro 128 GB, £999, Store.Google.com
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold 256 GB, £1,749, Store.Google.com
