Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Battle of the premium foldable phones!

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Google recently launched its first foldable smartphone in the form of the Pixel Fold. The Pixel Fold arrived with flagship specifications, including the Tensor G2 chip, a triple-camera setup, two LTPO OLED displays, an IP8X rating, and Google's reliable software.

 

However, Google is late to the foldable game with Samsung already taking a huge lead. But how does the first iteration of the Pixel Fold fare against Samsung's fourth foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 4? Let's find out:

 
Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Pricing, Availability

The Google Pixel Fold price starts from $1,799 (roughly Rs 1,47,500) in the US. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 price starts from $1,799 (roughly Rs 1,47,500) in the US. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 price in India starts from Rs 1,54,999.

The Google Pixel Fold will be available in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States from June. Google appears to be testing the waters with the Pixel Fold. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, on the other hand, is the most widely accessible foldable phone on the market.

Pixel Fold vs Samsung Fold 4: Display

Google's foldable smartphone sports a 7.6-inch primary display on the inside that uses an OLED panel with a resolution of 1,840 x 2,208 pixels. The screen boasts a 6:5 aspect ratio, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a pixel density of 380 ppi. The Pixel Fold also has a 5.8-inch FHD+ cover OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 7.6-inch AMOLED panel with an 1812 x 2176-pixel resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 features a 6.2-inch outer AMOLED screen with a with a resolution of 904 x 2316 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. Both screens feature LTPO technology for an adaptive refresh rate.

Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Performance

The Google Pixel Fold is powered by the Tensor G2 SoC used on the Pixel 7 series. The chip is paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 uses the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. The chip is paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 3.1 storage.

When it comes to raw performance, the Qualcomm chip does have a distinct advantage over the Tensor G2 SoC. We've also experienced heating issues with the Tensor G2 chip on the Pixel 7 Pro. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 doesn't quite have the same heating issues.

On the flip side, Google's Tensor chip tends to have a distinct advantage in Machine Learning, bringing more convenience to the overall software experience. But Samsung also brings four years of tried and tested experience with foldable devices.

Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Software

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 runs on Android 13 out of the box with the One UI 5.1 skin on top. Samsung offers four years of Android updates and five years of security updates with the Z Fold 4. Google's first foldable smartphone runs stock Android 13, although more features will be coming to the device with the Android 14 update coming later this year.

Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Additionally, the Pixel Fold will get Google's five years of software and security updates. It also has the Titan M2 security chip. It is worth noting that Google aims to deliver the excellent software experience of its Pixel flagships in this new foldable form factor with the Pixel Fold.

Pixel Fold vs Samsung Fold 4: Battery Life

The Pixel Fold packs a 4,821 mAh battery with 30W fast charging support. The foldable phone will also offer wireless charging through the Qi standard. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 packs a 4,400 mAh battery with 25W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging. Both phones don't come with an adapter in the box.

Google promises over a full day of battery life on a single charging. We have tested the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and it also offers all-day battery life under moderate usage but the Pixel Fold's bigger battery and Google's battery saving tweaks should give it a distinct advantage here. Charging support is pretty much even across both phones.

Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Cameras

For the cameras, the Pixel Fold will feature a triple-camera setup on the back with a 48 MP primary sensor with OIS support and an f/1.7 aperture. The foldable has a 10.8 MP ultrawide shooter with a 121-degree FOV and a 10.8 MP dual PD telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 20x Super Res zoom.

The inner display will feature an 8 MP selfie camera with fixed focus, while the cover screen will opt for a 9.5 MP camera sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and fixed focus. The Pixel Fold will also have camera features like the Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Night Sight, Long Exposure, Rea Tone, and more.

Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a triple-camera setup on the back with a 50 MP primary sensor with OIS at the helm. The other two camera sensors include a 10 MP telephoto unit with OIS and 3x optical zoom and a 12 MP ultra-wide shooter.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4's cover screen features a 10 MP selfie camera, while the under-display front camera on the internal display boasts a 4 MP resolution, although this sensor's primary use case is meant to be video calling. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with features like Super Night mode, enhanced stabilisation, improved portrait shots, and more.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 doesn't quite offer the same flagship performance as the Galaxy S23 series. And the same can be said for the Pixel Fold, which uses a downgraded triple-camera setup compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. However, Google relies heavily on software, so it will be interesting to see how close the Pixel Fold comes to deliver flagship camera performance.

Google Pixel Fold Design, Build

The Google Pixel Fold has Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the cover screen and back panel. The inner display is covered in ultrathin glass and a screen protector that isn't meant to be removed. The inner screen has thick bezels, while there's a large camera bump on the back as opposed to the edge-to-edge design of the Pixel 7 Pro.

The Pixel Fold's hinge is made of stainless steel and is rated for 200,000 opens and closes, according to Google. The Pixel Fold can be used in multiple orientations, including as a mini laptop, much like the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The first Google foldable smartphone also has an IP8X rating for water resistance. It weighs 283 grams and measures only 12.1mm thick when folded and 5.8mm when unfolded.

Google Pixel Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 features a tougher build with Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection on the back and cover display. The inner display here is also covered in ultrathin glass. It also features an IP8X rating for dust and water resistance. The Z Fold 4 also has a tougher aluminium frame, which Samsung claims is resistant to scratches.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is thicker than the Pixel Fold, measuring 6.3mm thick when unfolded and up to 15.8mm thick when folded. However, the Fold 4 is lighter at 263 grams. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also rated for 200,000 opens and closes.

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