For a number of years now, Samsung has essentially controlled the market for large-screen foldable smartphones in North America. The most recent of its four Galaxy Z Fold variants was the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Samsung is undoubtedly getting ready to introduce the Z Fold 5 later this summer. The Pixel Fold, a folding phone from Google, has finally been released, so it's not your only choice. Can it compete with Samsung's established superphone?
Size and Design
The biggest difference between the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Pixel Fold is in their sizes and forms. In its closed condition, Samsung's phone is long and slender, in contrast to Google's foldable phone, which is shorter and wider. When the two devices are placed side by side, this contrast is clear to see.
The Z Fold 4 appears exceptionally slim, whereas the Pixel Fold looks more like a conventional smartphone when closed, albeit somewhat shorter. The Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 4 have exterior screens with aspect ratios of 17.4:9 and 23.1:9, respectively. Both phones have comparable diagonal proportions, with Samsung's measuring 6.2 inches and Google's at 5.8 inches. However, the influence of the form difference is audible. After using both devices, I find that the Pixel Fold's shape feels more traditional than the Z Fold 4's does. In other words, it's more probable that the outside screen will be useful.
The Pixel opens to a wider phone due to its design. The Z Fold 4 has a more square-like aspect ratio, whilst it has a slightly more rectangular one. Samsung's smartphone includes an internal screen with a 21.6:18 aspect ratio, compared to Google's 6:5 ratio. It's difficult to choose a winner for the internal screen shape because both are useful for multitasking.
Despite having differing aspect ratios, both phones' internal screens are the same size at 7.6 inches. The Pixel and Z Fold 4 both have resolutions of 2,208 by 1,840 (380ppi) and 2,176 by 1,812 (374ppi), respectively. 120Hz refresh rates are the limit for both phones.
The Pixel Fold has an open thickness of 0.27 inches and a closed thickness of 0.48 inches. The Z Fold 4 has an open thickness of 0.25 inches and a closed thickness of 0.62 inches. The Pixel's hinge design, which results in a thinner gap between the closed screens, is largely to blame for the difference in this instance. Though the difference is slight, it is discernible. Samsung's foldable weighs 9.28 ounces as opposed to Google's 9.99 ounces, making it lighter.
Specs
The disparity in the visual design philosophy is an apparent difference between these phones, but that is not the only factor that distinguishes them from one another. The internal components also differ significantly.
Google uses its Tensor G2 chip in the Pixel Fold, whereas Samsung uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the Z Fold 4. Both devices have 12GB of RAM, but Samsung provides variants with up to 1TB of storage while Google only offers 256GB or 512GB, giving Samsung a slight advantage.
We haven't yet evaluated the Pixel Fold, so we can't compare how the hardware differences affect performance in the real world. However, we may infer certain things from the performance of the Pixel 7 Pro, which sports the same G2 processor and 12GB of RAM.
The findings favor Samsung significantly when the phone's raw processing power is pushed using the Geekbench test. Its chip performs better than the Pixel 7 Pro, scoring 1,325 on the single-core test and 4,016 on the multi-core test, respectively.
In terms of the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, the Tensor G2 used in Google's devices did not perform as well compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Pixel 7 Pro achieved a score of 11,369, whereas the Z Fold 4 scored 14,050. It's worth noting that Google may have made some optimizations specifically for the Fold, but we cannot confirm this until further testing is conducted.
However, benchmark scores only provide a partial understanding of the overall performance. Real-world performance on devices equipped with the Tensor G2 chip has been exceptional, and the same applies to phones utilizing the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. During our hands-on experience with the Pixel Fold, we encountered no performance issues while multitasking. Thus, we are confident that the Pixel Fold will offer robust performance, and performance alone may not be a decisive factor between the two devices.
Regarding battery life, the Pixel Fold may outperform the Z Fold 4. The Pixel Fold incorporates a 4,800mAh battery, whereas the Z Fold 4 relies on a slightly smaller 4,400mAh power cell. A definitive assessment will be possible once we have tested the phones. It's important to note that both devices support fast wired and wireless charging.
Cameras
Google offers a 48MP, f/1.7 main camera, a 10.8MP, f/2.2 ultrawide camera, and a 10.8MP, f/3.05, 5x telephoto camera starting with the Pixel Fold. A 50MP, f/1.8 main camera, a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide camera, and a 10MP, f/2.4, 3x telephoto camera are all featured on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Google provides an 8MP internal selfie camera and a 9.5MP external selfie camera for taking pictures of oneself. Samsung, on the other hand, has a 4MP internal camera and a 10MP external camera. Under the display is where the latter camera is hidden.
Samsung holds a slight advantage when it comes to video recording capabilities. The Z Fold 4 has the ability to capture videos in up to 8K resolution at 24fps, whereas the Pixel Fold offers up to 4K resolution at either 30fps or 60fps. Although the majority of people may not have 8K screens to fully appreciate these videos, having the option to record in 8K provides future-proofing and ensures the highest level of video sharpness.
While the camera specifications may appear similar, the differentiating factor between cameras often lies in the software processing of raw data. In this regard, Google's phone may have the advantage, as Pixel devices have long been renowned for offering some of the best cameras in the mobile phone industry. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Z Fold 4 may not perform as well as the Pixel 7 Pro or Galaxy S23 Ultra in terms of photography capabilities.
Others
Here are a few further, more minor variations between the two phones. As an illustration, the Pixel Fold and Z Fold 4 both support Wi-Fi 6E. This might persuade you to pick Google's phone over Samsung's if you own a 6E router.