Google surprised everyone by confirming that its next foldable device will be known as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, instead of the previously expected Pixel Fold 2.
The Pixel Fold was arguably one of the best foldable phones you could buy, combining a slim, premium design with impressive cameras and gorgeous displays. But it had a few major drawbacks, most notably its high price.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is rumored to ditch the Pixel Fold’s unique shape in favor of a larger display and thinner bezels. And a rebranding should bring it more in line with the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro this time around.
What other surprises does Google’s next-generation foldable have in store? Here’s everything we know about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold so far.
When will the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold be released?
In an official teaser video, Google confirmed that it will hold a launch event on August 13, 2024The use of “IX” – the Roman numeral for 9 – in the title all but confirms that the Pixel 9 lineup will be revealed.
And in another teaser, Google confirmed that its next foldable device will be called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Hence, it is almost certain that Google’s next foldable device will launch on August 13.
To put things into context, Google launched the original Pixel Fold in May 2023. While an upd ate cycle has yet to be determined, seeing a new model before the end of 2024 wouldn’t be a surprise.
How much will the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold cost?
As for pricing, that’s a matter of speculation for now. The original Pixel Fold starts at £1,749/$1,799, which puts it roughly in line with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 at £1,799/$1,899.99.
The Honor Magic V2 is cheaper than the other two smartphones, however, with a price tag of £1,699.99/$1,999. There’s also the OnePlus Open, which remains the cheapest of them all with a launch price of £1,599/$1,799.
Unfortunately, it looks like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold won’t be cheaper. In fact, it’s likely to be even more expensive.
According to Deelabs, pricing leaked by a French retailer suggests that the 256GB model will cost $1,899, while you’ll pay $2,029 for the 512GB version. It remains to be seen how accurate this will be.
Don’t forget to check out our best Pixel phone deals when the 9 Pro Fold launches.
What specs and features will the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold have?
The latest Google Pixel 9 series leaks, revealed by 91mobiles (in partnership with leaker OnLeaks) and Android Authority, offer a detailed look at the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
They reveal important information about the phone. If this turns out to be true, Google won’t have many more surprises to reveal at the event.
Design
In February 2024, CAD-based renders from popular leaker OnLeaks (via SmartPrix) offer the most detailed look at the device to date.
Based on these elements, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a larger, rounded outer display and a new camera module, which is a departure from previous Pixel designs. When folded, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold measures 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.54mm, making it 12.1mm thinner than the original.
The new camera module is split into two sections and houses three cameras, a flash, and a microphone. This aligns with early renders of the Pixel 9 (also from On the leaks) which share a very similar camera module design.
Display
According to Android Authority, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will ditch its unique form factor for a larger display that’s more in line with the competition.
The Pixel Fold features a 5.8-inch external display with a 1080 x 2092 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 408 PPI, and 1200 nits HDR brightness. The internal display measures 7.6 inches with a 2208 x 1840 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 380 PPI, and 1000 nits HDR brightness.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
In comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is said to feature a 6.24-inch external display with a 1,080 x 2,424 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 425 PPI, and 1,800 nits HDR brightness. The internal display could be larger at 8.0 inches, with a 2,152 x 2,076 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 374 PPI, and 1,600 nits HDR brightness.
The latest leak from 91mobiles and OnLeaks also claims very similar dimensions: a 6.3-inch display when folded and an 8-inch display when unfolded.
If true, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will adopt a more traditional foldable form factor, with a nearly square aspect ratio for the inner display, moving away from the Pixel Fold’s short and wide design. The resolution and PPI (pixels per inch) will need to be adjusted slightly to accommodate the changes in display size, reflecting significant improvements in display quality and user experience for the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Performance
An undisclosed source has revealed to Android Authority that Google is testing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold internally with the Tensor G4 chipset (codenamed “zumapro”), moving from earlier versions that used the Tensor G3 (codenamed “zuma”).
If true, it would mean that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold would likely use the same chipset as the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. However, even the Tensor G3 would be a significant upgrade over the current Tensor G2.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
The Tensor G4 is expected to bring slight improvements over the G3, although it’s unclear exactly what those might entail.
According to the Android Authority leak, prototype versions of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold feature 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage, both of which are said to be upgrades. A recent leak from 91mobiles also suggests that the phone will feature 16GB of RAM.
As a reminder, the original Pixel Fold came with a base 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
The RAM increase to 16GB is significant, as it would be the first time Google has launched a smartphone with more than 12GB of RAM. The upgrade also appears to support Google’s strategy to improve AI capabilities on the device through its assistant named Pixie, according to The Information.
Cameras
According to a leak from 91mobiles, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is said to feature a 10MP selfie camera, a 48MP main camera, a 10.5MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 10.8MP telephoto lens. Based on this, the internal display camera might have been removed.
On the original model there were five lenses: 48MP main, 10.8MP ultra wide, 10.8MP telephoto, 9.5MP front, 8MP internal.
Overall, the camera performance is very good, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Google left the hardware behind. Even if that turns out to be the case, there could be improvements in the software processing of images.
Battery
A report from MySmartPrice has discovered a certification for an unidentified upcoming Pixel model.
The device in question has a 4,942mAh battery, so it would make sense that it’s the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The original model had a 4,800mAh battery, which would be a worthwhile upgrade.
As we pointed out in our Pixel Fold review, we found that some days ended with battery levels comfortably around 20-25%, but on other occasions it needed to be recharged in the evening. A larger and better optimized battery could make its life longer and more consistent.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
It’s not yet clear whether the 30W wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging will get upgrades. However, according to 9to5Google, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold could support the latest Qi2 wireless charging standard.
Software
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold will almost certainly run Android 14 at a minimum. The anticipated launch in 2024 means Android 15 out of the box is unlikely, but it probably won’t be long (check out the new features in Android 15, plus which phones can expect to get Android 15).
The leaked documents also highlight some of the expected features of the Pixel 9 lineup. Notable mentions include the Gemini AI assistant, Circle to Search, and a feature that lets users search within their screenshots.
The Pixel 9 series is also expected to include Emergency SOS with crisis alerts, seven years of security and feature updates, and one year of free access to Google’s advanced AI model, Gemini.
That’s all the information we have for now, but stay tuned as we’ll continue to update this article as new details emerge. In the meantime, you might also be interested in the best foldables and the best Android phones to see what the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be up against.
You can see how these features compare to previous Pixel phones in our guide to the history of the Pixel phone.
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