It's about flippin' time. At last, another mainstream foldable phone is here to compete with Samsung's Galaxy Fold handsets. And this is no me-too device: the Pixel Fold makes its own mark with a wide front display that's easy to use, the thinnest design we've seen on a foldable, and top-grade cameras.
One thing Google hasn't managed to achieve is undercutting Samsung on price. The just-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Folds can be bought from the Samsung Store with 256GB for £1,749. And Google lists the 256GB Pixel Fold at... £1,749. Samsung's offering is a whole £20 cheaper if you choose the 512GB version - £1,849 versus £1,869. However, Google is offering more generous trade-in deals to sweeten the pill, and we're already seeing aggressive operator deals that bundle in a year of 5G service for little more than the cost of the bare phone.
Winning design
The Pixel Fold is available in two colours: porcelain and obsidian. I prefer the porcelain model as it "pops" more, but the black model has a sleek executive vibe.
The design feels impressively mature for a first attempt. It all starts with a front 5.8in display, which works better than the narrower cover panel on the Galaxy Z Fold4 (see issue 337, p74). The wider aspect ratio makes it easier to use apps and type on the front panel: this is not a preview display, but a true second display.
There's also no gap for debris to get in when the phone is closed, and Google claims its fluid-friction hinge is the most durable available on a foldable. Time will tell on that, but I can say right now that it's super smooth in operation.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Key things to look for when buying a mini PC
Buying a mini PC isn't like buying a laptop or a fully fledged desktop PC, but a pitfall-laden experience that sits somewhere in between
BRANDS YOU CAN TRUST
Whenever you buy something in the coming year, why not draw on the experience of thousands of discerning buyers?
5 things we learned from Lenovo Tech World'24
In a landmark event where the CEOs of AMD, Intel and Nvidia all took to the stage, the theme of \"smarter AI for all\" was never far away, writes Tim Danton
The Darktrace leading to government
British security firm Darktrace has been mired in controversy. Now its former CEO is a government minister. Rois Ni Thuama and Barry Collins investigate
Microsoft is doing more harm to Arm than good, argues Jon Honeyball
You know that sinking feeling you get when something is not quite right? That nagging doubt that it shouldn't be like this? It was like that when I read that Qualcomm has cancelled its Snapdragon X developer kit, a desktop Mac mini-like box designed for developers to create and test apps for Windows on Arm (WoA).
How do we know how smart AI really is?
Maths questions. Silly word puzzles. Counting the letter \"r\" in a sentence. Nicole Kobie reveals how we're trying to work out exactly how intelligent AI is
Missed call Whatever happened to the Acorn Communicator?
When Acorn launched its 16-bit Communicator computer with a built-in modem, it struggled to get potential buyers to listen, as David Crookes explains
STEVE CASSIDY-"Getting workers to do simple jobs in the 16th century was not much different from the 21st"
Why 16th century \"networking\" legislation still has an impact, and why the term AI is confusing to punters as well as a waste of natural resources
JON HONEYBALL -"The more I have to do with UK telcos, the more broken their systems seem to be"
After being tempted by the iPhone 16 Pro Max - for professional reasons, honest - and the Watch 2 Ultra, Jon discovers not everything is perfect in Apple's new generation
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
A bigger display, borrowed 5x tetraprism zoom from the Max and no price hike make this the best iPhone
