After years and years of anticipation, Google finally unveiled the Pixel Fold foldable smartphone at the I/O 2023 conference. Being the first foldable smartphone from the makers of Android itself, there are high expectations from the Pixel Fold. In this article, we will compare the Pixel Fold with the likes of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, OPPO Find N2, and the HONOR Magic Vs, to see how it stands up to the competition.
Specs comparison
|
Category |
Google Pixel Fold |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 |
HONOR Magic Vs |
OPPO Find N2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cover display |
5.8-inch, FHD+, OLED, 120Hz, 1,550 nits peak brightness |
6.2-inch, AMOLED, 120Hz |
6.45-inch, OLED, 120Hz, 1,200 nits peak brightness |
5.54-inch, AMOLED, 120Hz, 1,350 nits peak brightness |
|
Inner display |
7.6-inch, OLED, 120Hz, 1,450 nits peak brightness |
7.6-inch, AMOLED, 120Hz, 1,200 nits peak brightness |
7.9-inch, OLED, 90Hz, 800 nits peak brightness |
7.1-inch, AMOLED, 120Hz, 1,550 nits peak brightness |
|
Processor |
Google Tensor G2 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
|
Memory |
12GB RAM (LPDDR5) |
12GB |
Up to 12GB |
12/16GB |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB (UFS 3.1) |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
256GB, 512GB |
256GB, 512GB |
|
Rear Cameras |
|
|
|
|
|
Front Camera |
|
|
|
|
|
Battery |
4,821 mAh |
4,400 mAh |
5,000 mAh |
4,520 mAh |
|
Charging |
30W fast wired charging, wireless charging |
25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless |
66W wired, wireless and reverse wireless charging |
67W wired, wireless and reverse wireless charging |
|
Ports |
USB-C |
USB-C |
USB-C |
USB-C |
|
IP Rating |
IPX8 |
IPX8 |
— |
— |
|
Colors |
Obsidian, Porcelain |
Graygreen, Phantom Black, Beige, Burgundy |
Cyan, Black, Orange |
Black, Green, White |
|
Price |
From $1,799 |
From $1,799 |
From £1,400 |
— |
Design & Build
Starting with the design, you’ll notice that all foldables in this comparison guide — the Pixel Fold, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, HONOR Magic Vs, and the OPPO Find N2 — all feature a passport-like form factor. All of these devices feature a phone-sized display on the outside and a large foldable display on the inside on all these foldables.
All of these foldables also offer a premium build with glass and metal materials. The OPPO Find N2 and HONOR Magic Vs are available in a leather back option as well, although these variants are not available globally.
In terms of size and dimensions, the Pixel Fold outshines the other foldables. When unfolded, the Google foldable measures just 12.1mm thick. The HONOR Magic Vs comes in second at a thickness of 12.9mm, while both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Find N2 are over 14mm thick.
However, being thin doesn’t mean the Pixel Fold is lightweight — in fact, the Google smartphone is the heaviest of the bunch weighing over 280 grams.
When it comes to durability, the Pixel Fold matches the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold by offering IPX8 water resistance. The HONOR Magic Vs and the OPPO Find N2 do not offer an official IP rating. It is worth noting that the Pixel Fold, Find N2, and Magic Vs have a gap-less design, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a gap between the two displays when folded.
Display
Moving on to the cover displays, the Magic Vs offers the largest cover display with a 6.45-inch panel. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes in second with a 6.2-inch display, while the Pixel Fold and Find N2 offer a 5.8-inch and a 5.54-inch display, respectively. It is, however, worth mentioning that the Pixel Fold and OPPO Find N2 have wider cover displays, making them look closer to a traditional smartphone, while the HONOR Magic Vs and Z Fold 4 have a taller display.
As for the inner displays, the HONOR Magic Vs offers the largest foldable display at 7.9 inches, but its refresh rate is limited to 90Hz. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Pixel Fold offer a 7.6-inch display with support for a 120Hz refresh rate.
However, the Pixel Fold has noticeable bezels around the inner display, partly due to its hinge mechanism and front camera placement in the top bezel. In contrast, the other foldables in this guide offer a much more modern-looking punch-hole or under-display camera setup. Moreover, the Pixel Fold lacks support for stylus input, while all the other foldables support their respective brand’s stylus.
Performance
From the performance standpoint, foldables, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, HONOR Magic Vs, and the OPPO Find N2, are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, while the Pixel Fold uses Google’s own Tensor G2 chipset. All the foldables offer ample storage and RAM, and their chipsets are highly capable, resulting in a seamless day-to-day user experience.
All the foldables run Android 13 out of the box; however, the Pixel Fold will be one of the first devices to receive fast Android updates. Additionally, the Pixel Fold comes with several Pixel-exclusive features that enhance the overall Google phone experience, such as Magic Editor, offline voice typing, clear calling, and faster night sight. Samsung also offers DeX mode on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, turning foldable into a full-fledged computing machine.
Camera
Turning to the cameras, the Pixel Fold features a triple-camera setup consisting of a 48MP main sensor, a 10.8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10.8MP telephoto shooter capable of capturing up to 5x optical zoom photos. The Find N2, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Magic Vs also feature similar camera configurations with ~50MP primary sensors, ultra-wide lenses, and optical zoom telephoto lenses.
For selfie cameras, the Find N2 takes the lead, offering 32MP cameras on both the inner and cover displays. The Magic Vs features 16MP cameras on both displays, while the Pixel Fold has a 9.5MP camera on the cover display and an 8MP selfie camera on the top bezel of the inner display. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 10MP selfie camera on the cover display, but the inner foldable display features an under-display 4MP sensor, which doesn’t deliver the best quality and video-call experience.
Battery & charging
Finally, coming to the battery and charging technology, the HONOR Magic Vs offers the largest 5,000 mAh battery cell, while the Pixel Fold comes in second with a 4,821 mAh battery. The Find N2 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 offer batteries of 4,520 mAh and 4,400 mAh respectively. While we have yet to thoroughly test the Pixel Fold, the Google foldable should offer an all-day battery life.
The HONOR foldable again takes the top spot when it comes charging technology, with the Magic Vs offering whopping 67W fast USB-C wired charging. The Find N2 closely follows with 66W fast charging, while the Pixel Fold and Z Fold 4 offer only 30W and 25W wired charging speed respectively. Thankfully, all the foldables come with wireless charging and even support reverse wireless charging, allowing you to charge accessories like earbuds while on the go.
On the whole, the Pixel Fold presents a strong competition to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and HONOR Magic Vs. But, we will get to know more about the Fold’s experience once the foldable goes on sale next month. In the meantime, tell us about your thoughts on Google’s first ever foldable smartphone. Would you buy it over the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Magic Vs? Let us know in the comments section below!
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Google Pixel Fold
The Pixel Fold is Google’s first foldable smartphone offering some of the finest hardware and software on the market. The device features a 5.8-inch cover display and a big 7.6-inch foldable display. It is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset and is backed by a 4,821 mAh battery.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with the most powerful Qualcomm SoC, a wider display, a better hinge mechanism, and many significant upgrades over its predecessor.
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Honor Magic Vs
HONOR Magic Vs is a great foldable smartphone offering some of the finest hardware on the market. So, if you’re looking for a gadget that you can use for several years, it won’t disappoint. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and comes with a capable triple-camera array that captures great images and won’t disappoint, making it a great choice.
