The foldable smartphone market is heating up this year. Google and Honor recently launched their latest foldable devices, both showcasing cutting-edge technology and unique designs.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers a refined form factor and premium specifications, while the Honor Magic V3 impresses with its ultra-thin build and powerful performance. But which is the best foldable phone?
Here’s a comparison that will help you decide which foldable flagship is best for you.
Build and design
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a rugged, premium design, following the aesthetic of the Pixel 9 series. When folded, it has a square, iPhone-like shape that feels sturdy but not the thinnest nor the lightest. It measures 8.9mm thick when folded and weighs 257g.
The hinge is highly adjustable, allowing different angles without closing. Its frosted matte back and smooth, flat side rails give it a neat look, but its hinge is still prone to stains.
Luc Boulanger
The Magic V3 takes thinness and lightness to a new level for foldables, being just 9.2mm thick when folded and weighing just 226g. Its “Super Steel” hinge is sturdy and the “Special Fiber” body material offers durability without being fragile.
Its IPX8 rating guarantees waterproofing up to 2.5m, although it lacks dust protection. The sleek design, coupled with a distinctive octagonal camera bump, sets it apart visually, making it a highly portable option in the foldable device category.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 wins in this category thanks to its incredibly thin and lightweight design, making it easier to handle and more portable without compromising durability.
Screen and speakers
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 6.3-inch cover display and an internal 8-inch LTPO OLED display. Both support a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, however, the cover screen lacks the dynamic refresh rate of the main screen. With a peak brightness of 2700 nits for the cover and 1800 nits for the main display, visibility is excellent in various lighting conditions.
The Pro Fold’s stereo speakers provide good sound quality, although one speaker can be muffled in landscape mode.
Luc Boulanger
The Magic V3 has a 6.43-inch cover display and a 7.92-inch internal display, both using LTPO OLED technology, with a dynamic refresh rate of 1-120 Hz.
The displays deliver vibrant colors and deep blacks, ideal for multimedia consumption. The almost square aspect ratio of the internal screen, however, can cause black bars to appear when watching videos.
Its stereo speakers are powerful but are better suited to use in folded mode, due to their location.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 edges out the Pixel 9 Pro Fold here, with its superior display technology and dynamic refresh rate on both screens, providing a more versatile viewing experience.
Performance
Powered by Google’s Tensor G4 chip and 16GB of RAM, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold excels at everyday tasks, app navigation, and AI-powered processes.
However, it lags behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-equipped devices – including the V3 – in raw performance, making it less suitable for intensive gaming.
A choice of 256GB and 512GB storage options provide ample space for users.
Luc Boulanger
The Magic V3 – equipped with the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12 GB of RAM – offers superior performance, especially in games and high-intensity tasks.
It transitions seamlessly between the cover and internal displays, although demanding games may cause a slight performance drop on the larger screen.
The 512 GB storage is not expandable but sufficient for most users.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 takes the lead in performance, thanks to its more powerful Snapdragon chip, making it the best choice for users looking for top-notch performance, especially when gaming or multitasking.
Cameras
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold sports a 48MP main camera, a 10.5MP ultra-wide, and a 10.8MP 5x periscope telephoto camera. Daytime photos are vibrant and detailed, although low-light performance is highly software dependent.
The dual 10Mp selfie cameras are adequate but lack autofocus, making them less impressive compared to the competition.
Luc Boulanger
The Magic V3 has a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens with 3.5x zoom, and a 40MP ultra-wide lens. Its prime and telephoto lenses produce exceptional results, especially in low-light scenarios.
Portraits are a standout feature, with precise edge detection and various stylistic modes. However, the ultra-wide lens shows a noticeable drop in quality.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 wins this round with its more versatile and higher quality camera system, especially in low-light conditions and portrait photography.
Battery and charging
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 4,650 mAh battery can last a day of moderate use, but requires overnight charging. Its 21W wired and 7.5W wireless charging speeds are disappointing compared to its competitors, taking around 100 minutes for a full charge.
Luc Boulanger
The Magic V3’s 5,150 mAh battery provides strong longevity, even with intensive use of the internal screen.
It supports 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, with a full charge taking just under an hour. The included charger is a plus, offering faster recharge times than the Pixel.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 is the clear winner when it comes to battery and charging, offering better battery life and significantly faster charging speeds.
Software and applications
Running Android 14 with an update to Android 15 available, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold includes exclusive features like the Gemini AI suite and seven years of software updates.
The interface is clear, emphasizing user-friendliness and quick access to Google services. However, it lacks more advanced multitasking features than some competitors.
Luc Boulanger
The Magic V3 runs MagicOS 8 on top of Android 14, offering a range of AI-powered features. While some tools – like Magic Portal, for seamless data transfer – are impressive, heavy bloatware and inconsistent AI implementation detract from the experience.
Software update commitments are also less clear than Google’s generous seven-year policy.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the better choice overall, in terms of software and app experience, thanks to its clean interface, longer update support, and better integration of Google services.
Pricing and availability
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is available worldwide, priced at £1,749/$1,799 for the 256GB model and £1,869/$1,919 for the 512GB version.
It is sold through Google’s online store in the UK and US, as well as Amazon UK and Amazon US.
The Honor Magic V3 is priced slightly lower at £1,699.99 in the UK.
It is available on the Honor website and through Amazon, Argos and Very in the UK, but is not sold in the US. Its competitive price – considering its specifications – makes it an attractive option, especially in regions where it is available.
Should you buy the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Honor Magic V3?
Choosing between the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Honor Magic V3 is not easy.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers a refined, robust experience with long-term software support and a premium build, but with some compromises in performance and loading speed.
It is, however, a great choice for those who value software consistency and Google’s ecosystem.
Luc Boulanger
The Honor Magic V3, on the other hand, stands out for its exceptional hardware, lightweight design, and superior camera capabilities.
It outperforms the Pixel in most hardware aspects, but offers a less refined software experience and a shorter update cycle.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
For those looking for the best foldable phone, we think the Honor Magic V3 is the best option. However, it’s a close call and if you prefer software stability and longer support, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold remains a solid choice.
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