Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Pixel Fold: Cameras, Displays and Other Specs Compared [CNET]

August 13, 2024August 13, 2024 Abrar Al-Heeti technology

Here’s how Google has upgraded its book-style foldable.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter

Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She’s also worked for CNET’s video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco — steep inclines and all.

Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials

Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal’s Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.

Google on Tuesday unveiled the second generation of its foldable phone, called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Besides switching up the naming convention (last year’s model was simply dubbed the Pixel Fold), there are a few key upgrades the company factored into this latest book-style foldable.

But first, to address perhaps the most pressing question: Yes, the 2024 Pixel 9 Pro Fold has the same $1,800 price tag as the 2023 Pixel Fold.

Here’s how else the devices compare.

Larger internal and cover displays

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold sports a 6.3-inch OLED cover display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, making it bigger than the 5.8-inch display on the Pixel Fold. It also has a roomier internal display, measuring 8 inches versus last year’s 7.6 inches. Both phones have OLED displays with a 120Hz variable refresh rate.

Overall, when open, the 9 Pro Fold measures 6.1 inches tall, 5.9 inches wide and 0.2 inches deep, and when closed, it measures 6.1 inches tall, 3 inches wide and 0.4 inches deep. Last year’s Fold was smaller overall, measuring 5.5 inches tall, 6.2 inches wide and 0.2 inches deep when open and 5.5 inches tall, 3.1 inches wide and 0.5 inches deep when closed. But the 9 Pro Fold is lighter, weighing 257g versus 283g.

The 9 Pro Fold’s cover and internal screens have a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, compared to last year’s 1,450 nits. Google also upgraded the phone’s cover glass from Gorilla Glass Victus to a Victus 2 cover and back glass on the 9 Pro Fold.

Cameras: similar specs

On paper, the rear cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Fold are quite comparable. The 9 Pro Fold has a 48-megapixel wide camera, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide camera and 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto camera. Similarly, last year’s Fold sports a 48-megapixel wide, 10.8-megapixel ultrawide and 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto camera. We’ll have to see how they compare in the real world in upcoming camera tests.

The selfie cameras also don’t vary too much. The 9 Pro Fold has a 10-megapixel inner screen camera and a 10-megapixel cover screen camera. The Fold has a 8-megapixel inner screen camera and 9.5-megapixel cover screen camera.

Both phones can capture 4K video.

Batteries, memory and storage

When it comes to battery capacity, the 9 Pro Fold’s 4,650 mAh battery is slightly lower than the Fold’s 4,821 mAh battery. It’s worth noting, though, that while a higher mAh rating can mean a battery has a larger capacity, it doesn’t always equate to better performance; power efficiency is also a key factor in how long a phone’s battery lasts.

Both phones feature USB-C charging and are Qi-certified. The 9 Pro Fold supports 45W wired fast charging, while the Fold supports 30W charging (neither include said charger, unfortunately).

The 9 Pro Fold opts for 16GB of RAM, over last year’s 12GB, and both phones come with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. There’s no expandable memory on either device.

Processors and software

The 9 Pro Fold powers things up with a Tensor G4 chip, versus last year’s G2 processor. It arrives with Android 14 (though Android 15 is right on the horizon), and both phones come with seven years of OS and security updates.

Check out the chart below for more comparisons.