Newsletter
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 does a lot of things right. That includes making the Galaxy Z Fold 5 thinner and lighter this year, it also has better software optimizations, and a lot more customizations compared to some other phones. So why did I decide to carry the Google Pixel Fold in my pocket over a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5? Well, it’s pretty simple. The cover display, and Google’s Pixel software.
Pixel Fold’s cover display is just so much better
The cover display on the Google Pixel Fold is a whole lot easier to use. That’s because it’s a tiny bit wider than a normal smartphone screen. Making it easier to do things like replying to messages, browsing Twitter and much more, without opening the phone. And then when you do need to open the phone and need the bigger screen, you can do just that.
While some will and have said that the cover display on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is “unusable”, I disagree. It’s usable, but it’s not the best experience. Pixel Fold’s cover display is a much better experience. And when you open the phone, you get a wider display for side-by-side apps that aren’t just tall and skinny.
With the Galaxy Z Fold 5, anytime I want to do something and spend a decent amount of time on the phone, I tend to open it and use the bigger screen. And yeah that’s what it’s there for. But having a square app is just not a great experience. And it’s the one major issue I have with foldables. It’s still an issue on the Pixel Fold, but it’s less of an issue. And that’s because when you open it, it’s already in landscape. So you get the apps that aren’t stretched, but you can also open two apps side-by-side without them being smooshed together.
Pixel Fold is heavier
A strange thing about the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5 is that the Pixel Fold is shorter, and thinner with a smaller hinge. But somehow, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is lighter. In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 was even lighter than the Pixel Fold. However, Is till prefer the Pixel Fold. That’s quite the head scratcher isn’t it?
With the Pixel Fold, it doesn’t seem heavier. Now I think this is because the front display is wider, and allowing Google to spread out the weight a bit more. So it doesn’t feel as heavy as the Galaxy Z Fold 5. But even so, the difference in weight here is pretty negligible. It’s about 5% between the two. Which most people won’t be able to tell the difference in their hands.
Something that many people complained about was the fact that the Pixel Fold does not fold flat. And no, it doesn’t. I do find myself forcing it to fold flat, but it really doesn’t both me. When it’s sitting on a table, it won’t fold flat anyways (unless it’s in a case) because of that camera bump.
Pixel Fold’s battery has dramatically increased with Android 14 Beta
When the Galaxy Z Fold 5 first came out, I really thought I’d put the Pixel Fold down for good. Because the battery life wasn’t that great. During my review time, I was getting about 8 hours of screen on time on days I was primarily using the outer display. When I used the inner screen a lot more, it was closer to 4-5 hours of screen on time. Okay, but not the best.
Then after I finished reviewing the Galaxy Z Fold 5, I put Android 14 beta onto my Pixel Fold to start preparing the imminent Android 14 launch. And wow, it made such a huge difference. I used the inner display about 80% of the time on this battery cycle, and got over 6 hours of screen on time. And it still had 32% left. That is rather insane, and really good.
Pixel Fold battery life on the Android 14 beta is kinda crazy. 6.5 hours screen on time with 32% left… pic.twitter.com/5F4KqCFzwc
— Alex Maxham (@alexmaxham) August 18, 2023
Now, it was not just the Android 14 Beta that helped out the battery. But also adaptive battery having spent a few weeks learning how I use the Pixel Fold. And it really made a drastic increase here. Which is really great to see. And it actually surpassed the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for me. Though both absolutely suck at charging.
Finally, Pixel Camera is still the best
Foldables still don’t boast the best camera hardware on the market. And that’s due to the small size, and OEMs also looking for ways to keep the cost down. Or at least keep it at $1800. So the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold both have worse cameras than their flagship counterparts. But both are pretty good. However, I still prefer the Pixel Camera.
Pixel still has the best shutter speed, and the most true-to-life colors, compared to Samsung. Samsung tends to make their pictures a little oversaturated. Which is not my style, some others may prefer that, but I don’t. Google also gives you 5x optical zoom on the Pixel Fold, while Samsung is limited to 3x. Sure you can go to 30x with Space Zoom, but that’s digital zoom and it really does not look that great. The Pixel Fold camera is just more versatile, and that’s why it stays in my pocket.
So that’s why the Pixel Fold is my second phone. I do primarily carry an iPhone 14 Pro, but my second phone is always an Android phone, and usually a Pixel. This time it’s a Pixel Fold. While it’s not perfect, for me, it’s better than the Galaxy Z Fold 5.