Google’s latest showcase, the 2024 Made by Google event, was noticeably ruled by Pixel Phones, highlighting the introduction of the Pixel 9 lineup and revealing the much-anticipated successor to its inaugural foldable device, now named the Pixel Fold. In a surprising twist, Google opted to label the new foldable as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, marking their second venture into the foldable device sphere by altering their naming convention.
Adopting the new designation aligns the foldable with Google’s broader smartphone range. As for the addition of “Pro” to the name, speculation abounds if it hints at a future, more budget-friendly foldable model or if it underscores the device’s premium positioning and specifications, notably its $1,799 price tag.
Google’s first Pixel Fold garnered favorable attention upon its debut last summer, presenting a balanced offering in terms of size and aspect ratio that stood out from the offerings of its main competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.
Remaining faithful to its predecessor, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold betters the blueprint with its hardware modifications. Noteworthy among these is the expansion of the internal display to 8 inches when unfurled, potentially making it the foldable phone with the largest screen, barely trailing behind the latest iPad Mini by 0.3 inch.
The primary display boasts a 2076 x 2152 OLED panel, delivering 373 pixels per inch. It supports a peak refresh rate of 120 Hz and a brightness level of 2,700 nits. The exterior display also sees an enhancement to 6.3 inches, with a pixel density of 422 per inch and a resolution of 1080 x 2424, all under the protection of Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Additionally, the new model showcases a slimmer profile than the first iteration—measuring 0.4 inch when closed and 0.2 inch when open—and houses a 4650 mAh battery. Google asserts this battery can power the device for over 24 hours, a longevity that can be extended to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver mode. Like its Pixel 9 siblings, it runs on the upgraded Tensor G4 chip, accompanied by 16GB of RAM and options of 256GB or 512GB for storage.
A conspicuously bolder camera array adorns the rear, featuring three lenses: a 48-megapixel wide, a 10.5-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto lens, the latter offering up to 5x optical zoom and up to 20x with Super Res Zoom, albeit with some potential image noise.
A standout update is the integration of Gemini as the default smart assistant across the device, coupled with one year of Google One AI Premium. This package includes advanced features of Gemini along with generative AI capabilities in Gmail and Docs, and 2TB of cloud storage on Google Cloud. Furthermore, the phone will receive seven years of operative system and security updates, combined with new functionalities through Pixel Drops.
The Pixel Fold will be available in a variety of markets including the U.S., Canada, and several countries across Europe and Asia. Official sales commence on September 4.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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