Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Which is the best foldable? (2024)

The new Pixel 9 lineup is Google's strongest and most aggressive hardware launch yet. But what's even more impressive is its latest foldable called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Rather than calling it the Pixel Fold 2, Google is clubbing it with the rest of the new series, and that makes sense since it shares a lot of the features and hardware with the Pixel 9 phones. The new 9 Pro Fold has a major design overhaul and, to our surprise, comes at the same starting price as last year's model.

In the U.S., its biggest rival is going to be the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which has pretty much gone unchallenged in its segment and is one of the best foldable phones in the market. Newer offerings like the OnePlus Open have given it good competition, but we think the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be its biggest opponent. With similar flagship hardware and a ton of AI software features, we pit the Google Pixel 9 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 to see if we have a definitive winner and which phone you should buy next.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Design and displays

The new Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks nothing like the Pixel Fold from last year, and that's a good thing. The design is arguably much better; the new matte glass and aluminum finishes feel richer, and the ugly thick bezels inside the folding display are all gone. It looks like it's part of the Pixel 9 family. You get the same wide aspect ratio that we loved from the first model, but the chassis is now slimmer and lighter. It measures 10.5mm in depth when folded and just 5.1mm when unfolded. It's not the world's slimmest, but I'll take it.

The weight has also been reduced significantly, down to 257g. The phone comes in Obsidian and Porcelain colors. The 9 Pro Fold is still IPX8-rated for water resistance. One major annoyance we faced with the Pixel Fold was that it never quite unfolded completely flat, but Google has fixed that with the new model.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks more or less the same as the previous two generations, although it has a slightly wider aspect ratio this time. It's only just about noticeable if you're coming from an older Fold phone, but it's not enough to make the typing experience on the cover screen much better. Samsung, too, uses aluminum and glass for the construction, and the Fold 6 is lighter than the Pixel at 239g. It's still slightly thicker, though, at 12.1mm and 5.6mm in its folded and unfolded state, respectively.

Samsung offers way more colors, as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes in Silver, Shadow, Pink, and Navy. Crafted Black and White are two exclusive shades if you buy them via Samsung.com. The Fold 6 is now IP48-rated for "dust" and water resistance, but keep in mind that the dust resistance only protects it from solid particles larger than 1mm, which doesn't qualify as dust.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets new displays on the outside and inside. The outer display is a larger 6.3-inch Actua display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, similar to the Pixel 9 Pro. It's an OLED with a Full HD+ resolution, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, and a variable refresh rate of 60Hz-120Hz. Google claims it can get as bright as up to 1,800 nits for HDR content and up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness.

The folding screen is larger too, at 8 inches. Google calls it a Super Actua Flex display. This OLED panel has a 2,076x2,152 resolution, UTG glass, and LTPO tech which can vary the refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz. It has the same peak brightness as the outer screen, but HDR brightness is up to 1,600 nits.

Samsung brought some minor refinements to the display on the Fold 6, but not any major changes. The corners of the folding display are no longer curved, which is the opposite of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It's a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, features LTPO tech, and has a 2,160x1,856 resolution. Peak brightness is similar at 2,600 nits.

The outer display is a 6.3-inch AMOLED panel, but it's taller with a narrower 22.1:9 aspect ratio than the Pixel. It too has LTPO tech with a 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate and the same peak brightness. The slimmer profile makes it easier to slip into narrower pockets, but the 9 Pro Fold still trumps the Galaxy when it comes to ease of using the outer screen, espeically when typing.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Hardware and specs

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts at $1,799 for the base model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Unlike some countries like India, which will only get one variant, the U.S. and the rest of the world will get a 512GB option, too, with the same amount of RAM. I like that Google increased the RAM on the new Fold, as all those AI and multitasking features should benefit from it in the long run. The 9 Pro Fold is powered by the Tensor G4 SoC, which claims to be quicker and more efficient in general and AI processing. Other hardware features include Google's Titan M2 security chip, fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and dual-band GPS.

The camera sensors have also received minor updates. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's rear cameras include a 48MP wide with an f/1.7 aperture, a new 10.5MP ultrawide with a wider 127-degree field of view and autofocus for macro shots, and a 10.8MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom and up to 20x Super Res Zoom. The back also features a laser autofocus system and spectral and flicker sensors.

The camera on the cover display and in the folding display is the same 10MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. The 9 Pro Fold can shoot up to 4K 60fps videos, along with 10-bit HDR videos from the rear camera and Night Sight video.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's battery is smaller than its predecessor's, but it's still larger than the Fold 6. The 4,650mAh capacity can be quickly charged using Google's certified 45W optional charger.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at $1,899 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and goes up to $2,259 for the 1TB variant. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, which is still the flagship chip in 2024. It'll be interesting to see how this compares to the new Tensor chip in the Pixel. Like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Fold 6 also gets Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, Ultra-Wideband support, and USB 3.2. The Galaxy has the unique advantage of supporting Samsung's S Pen stylus, which is a handy tool for jotting notes or sketching out ideas.

The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 are quite versatile and good enough for everyday use, although we would have liked to see a bigger upgrade by now. The rear of the Fold 6 gets a 50MP main, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide. The cover screen has a 10MP sensor, while the folding screen uses the same 4MP under-display camera. The latter has improved since it was first introduced, but it's no match for the quality of a high-resolution sensor.

Battery life on the Fold series has generally been good, and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 4,400mAh battery. A day's worth of usage is something you can typically expect from this phone. Sadly, wired charging is still only 25W, and you'll need to get your own charger. Wireless charging is supported at 15W.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Software

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold ships with Android 14 and is slated to receive seven years of software updates and security patches. You also get Gemini baked in from the moment you set it up, which can do much more than Assitant, like generate stories for your blog, draft, and email, or help you know more about what's on your screen. Fold users will also get a one-year free subscription to Gemini Advanced via Google One, which includes 2TB of cloud storage and the ability to use Gemini in Gmail and Docs.

Google is also adding new AI features, which will be exclusive to Pixel devices. Pixel Screenshots uses Gemini Nano to remember all the details from screenshots taken on your Pixel phone, so you can simply prompt it to find what you're looking for later instead of having to dig through your pile of screenshots. The new Add Me feature for the camera app lets you add yourself to group shots if you're the one taking it by merging two photos of one with you in it and one without. Google has beefed up its multitasking capabilities, too, with Split Screen and the ability to save app pairs. You also get a taskbar with recent apps that can be pinned for quick access.

Samsung has now almost perfected its multitasking features for its Fold series. It allows you to open three apps at once and more in floating windows. Folding the Z Fold 6 halfway automatically rearranges the layout in some apps to offer extended functionality. There are also a ton of Galaxy AI features to play with, the most interesting one being the "Sketch to Image" feature. This lets you generate life-like images of objects and animals by simply doodling over an existing image. There are plenty more Galaxy AI features like live translate, as well as Google AI features like Circle to Search and much more.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 ships with Samsung's One UI skin, which is based on Android 14. Like the Pixel, it gets seven years of OS and security updates. It also supports Gemini Nano, Google's lightweight GenAI platform.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Which should you buy?

If I were to choose between the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, the choice would be pretty easy — I'd go with the Pixel. There are a couple of good reasons, too. The main one would have to be the form factor. The wider aspect ratio of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold makes it feel like a regular phone when folded, so it's easier to use, type on, and play games on it, too. Next would have to be the design. It looks more modern compared to the Fold 6, which, by now, can be mistaken for even the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Then there are those cool, exclusive Pixel AI features like Add Me, which can be extremely useful. On top of that, you can expect great things from the cameras, and you'll always be among the first to get the latest Android software.

Now that the 9 Pro Fold is here, we could see a price shuffle for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It's still a good option for anyone looking for excellent stylus support, great gaming performance, and desktop-like computing with Samsung DeX.