Google has officially unveiled its latest innovation in its Fold series. Building on the success of its predecessor, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks eye-catching with promises of improved features and refinements. Let’s explore this smartphone including its features, specifications, expected price in Nepal, and more.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Overview

Google phones have always been all about software, but they have really stepped up their hardware game with the latest Pro Fold. It looks more premium than ever, being the ‘biggest ever display on a phone into an even thinner foldable device’. Well, the software improvements are of course there.

Design and Display

Starting off with the design, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold stands out with a sleek and sophisticated look, with noticeably thinner bezels than its predecessor. It comes with a massive 8-inch Super Actua Flex Display, making it the largest foldable screen to date - outdoing the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4’s 7.98-inch display. Featuring the same IPX8 rating as its predecessor, the new Pixel Fold can withstand being submerged in water up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes. Not bad! But it could have worked better with the dust resistance as Galaxy Z Fold6 offers at least an IP48 rating. On the outside, the phone features a 6.3-inch Actua Display, larger than the Pixel Fold’s and comparable to the Z Fold 6’s outer screen. Additionally, the 9 Pro Fold can reach a peak brightness of up to 2,700 nits, which is 80% brighter than the og Pixel Fold. It also ships with tougher Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection which offers better drop and scratch resistance. In terms of weight, the Pro Fold is lighter than the previous model at 257g. However, it is still heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open both of which weigh 239g.

Performance and Battery

Under the hood, the Pixel Pro Fold features the new Google Tensor G4 chip built on a 4 nm process, an upgrade from the Pixel Fold’s Tensor G2 (5 nm). Google says this chip is 20% faster with web browsing and 17% faster with app launching. While details about the clock speed and core architecture are not out yet, we have high hopes for Google's in-house silicon this time around. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold will run on Android 14, supporting up to 7 major Android updates. In terms of storage, it ships with 16GB of RAM and 256GB/512GB of UFS memory. The battery life could be a point of concern. The previous Pixel Fold had a 4,821 mAh cell and typically lasted a full day on a single charge. With the 9 Pro Fold now equipped with a smaller 4,650 mAh battery, it's quite uncertain how its battery life will hold up. That being said, the capacity of the Google Fold still surpasses Samsung's offering with a 4,400 mAh cell.

Camera

The camera bump on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is of the polarizing kind with most thinking it "ruins the design". It's a triple-camera setup featuring a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 10.8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto sensor. Both front selfie cameras are housed inside punch-holes, offer 'Face Unlock', and have the same 10MP sensors. The Ultrawide also doubles as a macro with a close focus option.

AI Features and the rest

With the bigger display come features like Split Screen, drag-drop photos, and Dual Screen with Google Meet. Additionally, the Google AI features on Pixel include Pixel Screenshots, Pixel Studio, Circle to Search, Summarize, and Gemini. Moreover, some photography features including Magic Editor, Best Take, Video Boost, Add Me and Pro Controls are also coming to this phone.

• Also, read:
  • Google Pixel Watch 3 unveiled with two dial sizes and better performance
  • Google Pixel 9 is finally here with a new design, increased power and loaded features
  • Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is official, but don't let the "XL" fool you
  • Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 goes official with Tensor A1 chip and 11mm dynamic driver

Lastly, Google has announced a partnership with several developers to enhance certain games for the interior screen. It will be interesting to see which games Google optimizes, as Google is not quite known for gaming features.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Specifications

• Durability: IPX8 water-resistant, Stainless steel frame
• Dimension: Folded: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm, Unfolded: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8mm
• Display:
  • Main: 8″ Super Actua Flex Display, 120Hz refresh rate
  • Cover: 6.3″ Actua Display, 120Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• Resolution:
  • Main: QXGA+ (2208 x 1840 pixels), 6:5 aspect ratio
  • Cover: FHD+ (2092 x 1080 pixels), 17.4:9 aspect ratio
• Chipset: Google Tensor G4 (4 nm Mobile Platform)
• Memory: 16GB RAM, 256/512GB storage (fixed)
• Software and UI: Android 14 (upgradeable, with support for up to 7 major Android updates)
• Selfie Camera: dual 10MP
• Battery: 4,650mAh with 30W wired charging, Qi wireless charging
• Colour Options: Porcelain White, Obsidian Black

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Price in Nepal and Availability

According to Google, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be available at the same price as the Pixel Fold in the US. Its 256GB variant costs USD 1,799 and you can pre-order it right now. Although it’s highly unlikely that the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold officially arrive in Nepal, we expect its price to be around NPR 295,000 if it does.

• Meanwhile, watch our Google Pixel 7A review: