Google Pixel Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Which Is Better?
The Pixel Fold is Google’s first foldable smartphone, and it’s the first real competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, at least in North America. We’ve been waiting for the Pixel Fold for quite some time to see how Google optimizes Android to take full advantage of the foldable form factor.
At the same time, Samsung has a four-year head start in the foldable market and is the biggest supplier of foldable phones in the entire world by a very wide margin. Both devices launched at $1799. So, does the Pixel Fold have what it takes to dethrone the Z Fold 4? Let’s compare the two devices and find out.
The Pixel Fold is shorter, broader, slimmer, and heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. And because of this form factor, it looks much more like a regular phone when folded shut as opposed to the unusually tall and narrow aspect ratio of Samsung’s foldable.
Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Pixel Fold shuts completely flat with no gap between the two panels. Both devices have an IPX8 rating for water resistance and an aluminum frame, and they double the power button on the side as a capacitive fingerprint sensor.
The Pixel Fold uses Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back whereas the Z Fold 4 uses a slightly tougher Victus+ variant. The former boasts a stronger stainless steel hinge whereas the latter uses Armor Aluminum.
Both phones can be folded at an angle to use as a tripod or stand.
Both devices have five cameras in total: a primary lens, an ultrawide lens, a telephoto lens, an outer front-facing lens on the cover screen, and an inner front-facing lens on the main screen.
The inner selfie camera on the Z Fold 4 is hidden under the display which helps minimize the bezels, but sadly produces really poor quality photos and videos given the state of the tech. The Pixel Fold opts for a more modest approach with its thick bezels that house a more useable inner selfie camera.
The Pixel Fold is better at zoom photography thanks to its 5x optical zoom. The 3x optical zoom on the Fold 4 is good for portrait shots, but that’s about it. It can also take 8K video, but frankly, that’s one of theoverhyped smartphone featuresyou’ll probably never use anyway.
The photography experience on both devices is similar to what you might expect from Google and Samsung’s flagships. The Pixel Fold also comes with all thosePixel camera featuresfans have come to love like Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Motion Mode, and more.
Both devices have a 7.6-inch 120Hz inner folding display. The Pixel Fold has a broader form factor while the Fold 4 is taller and has noticeably slimmer bezels which makes the experience much more immersive during media consumption or gaming.
On the outside, the Pixel Fold rocks a 5.8-inch panel whereas the Z Fold 4 has a 6.2-inch panel—both 120Hz. This is where the Pixel starts to look more appealing since its cover screen actually looks like a normal smartphone screen unlike the Z Fold 4.
Both displays on the Pixel are brighter than the ones on the Galaxy.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a faster and more efficient 4nm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip whereas the Pixel Fold uses its in-house 5nm Google Tensor G2 chip. This is not as powerful, but enables all those special software capabilities that Pixels are known for. But if all you care about is raw performance, the Galaxy will serve you better.
RAM and Storage
Both devices start at 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Although you don’t need that much RAM for everyday tasks, having it on a foldable phone makes sense since it’s a productivity and media-centric device.
You can scale the Pixel Fold to 512GB storage, and the Z Fold 4 to up to 1TB. Find outhow much storage you needif you’re unsure so that you pick the right model—neither of the two phones has expandable storage.
Although the Google Pixel Fold has the biggest battery we’ve ever seen on a foldable, it’s unlikely that the size of that cell will translate to substantially longer battery life.
Why? Because Google Tensor chips are not as efficient as their alternatives. Not to mention that the brighter displays on the Pixel will also require more power to run. On balance, you should expect similar battery life from both the Pixel Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Both devices also have similar wired charging speeds and offer wireless charging capability, but only the Z Fold 4 can wirelessly charge your accessories such as earbuds or a smartwatch.
The Pixel Fold Is Surprisingly Competitive
Despite being Google’s debut foldable phone, the Pixel Fold seems surprisingly capable and “complete”. It has a short and slim form factor that makes it more pocketable, a larger battery, brighter displays, a normal-looking cover screen, a stronger stainless steel hinge, and all the Pixel software features.
That said, the Z Fold 4 has an uninterrupted inner screen, a more powerful and efficient chip, slightly stronger glass, reverse wireless charging, a 1TB storage option, and is slightly lighter.
But perhaps most importantly, it’s a fourth-generation foldable. The first-generation Pixel Fold is as yet unproven and may develop issues down the line. It might be wiser to wait for long-term reviews before you buy.
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