Final yr, Google launched the Pixel Fold — the corporate’s first-ever telephone with a versatile display screen. However right now at its newest Made By occasion, Google confirmed off a sequel. However don’t name it the Pixel Fold 2, as a result of along with a revamped design that includes what’s being known as the biggest show of any telephone available on the market, it’s additionally getting a reworked identify: the Pixel 9 Professional Fold.
Now I need to say, that moniker is an actual mouthful. However the concept behind it was to make sure that folks know the brand new Fold is a part of the bigger Pixel 9 household. Meaning this newest Fold has the identical Tensor G4 chip, an analogous design and all of the AI options as the remainder of the road. Plus a couple of bespoke additions made only for this machine.
However earlier than we get into that, let’s begin with its design, which has made a reasonably large shift from its passport-shaped predecessor. This time, Google opted for extra conventional dimensions with the Professional Fold sporting a 6.3-inch outdoors show that’s virtually an identical in measurement to what you get on the usual Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional. And with a peak brightness of as much as 2,700 nits for each inside and outdoors shows, it is mainly simply as colourful and vibrant.
Then on the within, you get a versatile display screen that measures a whopping 8 inches throughout, beating out rivals just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (7.6 inches), OnePlus Open (7.82 inches) and Honor Magic V3 (7.92 inches). Its technical identify is the Tremendous Actua Flex show, and it’s completely attractive. For the Professional Fold’s chassis, Google has switched to a boxier design with a brand new metal hinge coated by an aluminum alloy and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in back and front.
Now I’ll admit I used to be a bit bummed out by the change in form as I’ve actually come to understand the unique Pixel Fold’s large entrance display screen. Nonetheless, after taking part in round with it, the Professional Fold’s dimensions are undoubtedly rising on me. Plus, should you bear in mind from my interview with Google’s design staff, the aim of the primary Fold’s shorter and squattier design was to make the skin display screen extra usable than the lengthy and thin shows Samsung makes use of on the Z Fold line. And by utilizing a display screen that’s the identical measurement because the common Pixel 9 on the Professional Fold, it’s clear that they’re nonetheless sticking to that mantra.
Google has additionally slimmed down the telephone and is claiming that it’s the thinnest foldable you should buy right now. That stated, measuring 5.1mm thick when open or 10.5mm thick when closed, I imagine it is a contact fatter than each the Honor Magic V3 (4.4mm/9.3mm) and the Xiaomi Combine Fold 4 (4.6mm/9.5mm). That stated, if we’re solely speaking about fashions obtainable within the US, I feel Google’s declare holds true.
Round again, there’s a giant new digicam module that holds a 48-MP major digicam and a ten.8-MP telephoto cam with a 5x optical zoom, which look to be the identical as what we received in final yr’s telephone as an alternative of utilizing the brand new sensors obtainable on the primary Pixel 9 fashions. However I haven’t been in a position to verify that simply but. And eventually, there’s a ten.5-MP ultra-wide digicam.
I’ve dinged Samsung prior to now for saddling the Z Fold line with cameras that aren’t fairly pretty much as good as what you get on the primary Galaxy S household, and it seems to be like Google is doing one thing much like the Professional Fold, which I don’t love. However seeing as how final yr’s telephone gives higher picture high quality than what you get on the brand new Z Fold 6, it’s not fairly as massive of a deal.
Naturally, there are a ton of latest options and photograph modes too. There’s stuff like Add Me, which makes use of AR guides that can assist you take group photographs so that you don’t must ask a passerby for assist. There’s additionally a brand new and improved Video Enhance instrument that works at midnight and helps high-resolution zooms. However my favourite addition is Made You Look, which places a enjoyable animation on the skin display screen so you may get a pleasant shot of your children or anybody else who would possibly in any other case be barely distracted. It even makes use of an algorithm to detect when somebody is smiling, to make the animation transfer, which is only a actually easy however efficient strategy to get a real candid response throughout a posed photograph. Google has additionally lastly carried out the Zoom Improve characteristic it teased again through the launch of Pixel 8.
And naturally, it wouldn’t be Google with out a bunch of latest AI options. For images, there are a couple of new Magic Editor methods like Autoframe that may recompose your photographs, or Reimagine, which may exchange issues (usually the foreground and background of a shot) with something you’ll be able to put within the immediate field.
For extra common use, there’s the Pixel Screenshots app which lets you save screenshots after which later use AI to search out particular photos or extra detailed stuff like live performance dates. Alternatively, if you wish to generate your individual photos from scratch, the brand new Pixel Studio app seems to be surprisingly highly effective. Not solely are you able to create topics and backgrounds, you too can generate stickers of your mates, take away distracting objects, or put collectively issues like occasion invites utilizing your customized art work. There’s even a brand new Pixel Climate app that makes use of AI to jot down a fast abstract of what’s happening that day.
However the ML-powered instruments don’t cease there, as a result of Gemini Dwell lets you have extra pure conversations with AIs, so you may get solutions on an enormous vary of matters while not having to say “Hey” each time you consider a query. There are additionally a number of options I didn’t get to attempt such because the Pixel 9’s improved Clear Calling, Name Notes, which makes use of AI to create transcripts of a name, and Google’s new satellite tv for pc SOS system, which helps you to name for assist even if you don’t have cell service. Lastly, Google has bumped up the quantity of RAM within the Pixel 9 Professional Fold from 12GB to 16GB of RAM with both 256GB or 512GB of storage.
1 / 15
So whereas I’ve solely had a short while with it to date, I actually like what Google is doing with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold — you already know, other than its clunky new identify. In lots of methods, Google is delivering what I wished Samsung to do for the Z line. The Professional Fold is thinner than Z Fold 6 whereas additionally having an even bigger major display screen. And its cameras needs to be higher too. Plus, because of Google’s lead in AI, we’re getting much more enjoyable and helpful instruments for tweaking images or remembering that cool pair of footwear you screenshotted weeks in the past. Positive, Google nonetheless doesn’t have an actual different to Dex mode or built-in stylus help. However for individuals who desire a convertible telephone with nice screens, wonderful cameras and highly effective software program, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold is trying like an incredible follow-up to the unique. Oh, and priced at $1,800, it prices $100 lower than the Z Fold 6 too.
The Pixel 9 Professional Fold is out there for pre-order right now with official gross sales starting on September 4. Will probably be obtainable in two colours: porcelain and obsidian.
Atone for all of the information from Google’s Pixel 9 launch occasion proper right here!