Speaker 1: This is the pixel fold, Google's first foldable phone, and at 1799, it's also Google's most expensive phone. I've only been using the pixel fold for a couple of days, so you'll have to read our written review to get our full thoughts and impressions. But right off the bat, I can tell that Google did a few things right with this phone. First of all, I love the wider cover screen. It really makes the fold [00:00:30] feel more like a regular phone when it's closed, it makes apps feel a lot more natural. I also really love the camera on the pixel fold. It feels similar to the Pixel seven pros, even though there are some important differences. That said, there are some ways Google can improve, especially when it comes to which apps are optimized for the device when it's opened, and the bezels on the inside of the device are also noticeable compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z fold fours.
Speaker 1: First, let's take a look at that outer [00:01:00] screen. It measures 5.8 inches, making it about the same size as an iPhone 11 pro. What I really like about the front screen other than the fact that it makes apps feel more natural is that it makes the pixel fold really great for watching video. I loved propping it open like a tens to watch Netflix and YouTube videos throughout the day. By comparison, the Galaxy Z fold four screen is a lot thinner and longer, which feels a little less natural for watching video. I also really liked texting on the front screen [00:01:30] since I have more space, given that the screen is wider, the Galaxy Z fold Fours keyboard feels a little cramped by comparison and because the screen is wider, you also get a bigger view finder when you're taking photos with the device closed. Once you open up the pixel fold, you'll see a 7.6 inch screen on the inside.
Speaker 1: Yes, there is a crease and you can see it, but it's not much more noticeable than the one on Samsung's phone. In fact, I think it's about the same. However, I do feel like it's a little bit less noticeable [00:02:00] when you're swiping over it, which is great. And this phone, given its giant inner screen, is all about multitasking. Of course, you can view apps and split screen mode, which isn't anything new for foldables, but it's still nice to see it on the pixel fold. However, you can only open two apps at a time in multitasking mode, which for me personally is enough. I actually prefer to dedicate that entire inner screen to one app. As I've been testing this out, I have noticed that not all apps are optimized to take [00:02:30] advantage of that big inner screen. But the good news is that some popular apps are optimized. TikTok is one of them. Candy Crush, soda Saga is one of them. Calm is one of them. So there are a few to choose from, but again, there's still a lot that aren't optimized for that big interior screen. In addition to just a viewing apps in split screen mode, you can also drag and drop content between apps. I use this with the photos app and the Google Messages app to quickly drag and drop photos to my husband and sister as I was texting [00:03:00] them throughout the day.
Speaker 1: The pixel fold has a great camera that takes bold and sharp photos. There's a 48 megapixel main camera, a 10.8 megapixel telephoto camera, and a 10.8 megapixel ultra wide camera compared to the Galaxy Z fold four, I felt like the pixel fold had a couple of advantages. For example, it does have a slightly closer optical zoom, which is great if you take a lot of photos from afar. And I also thought [00:03:30] that skin tones looked a little bit more accurate sometimes on Google's phone versus Samsung's phone. That said, Samsung does punch up the colors sometimes, which some people might prefer. It's all about your preferences and tastes compared to the Pixel seven Pro. There are some notable differences here when it comes to the hardware. The biggest being that the Pixel seven Pro has a much higher resolution telephoto lens. In my early testing, I didn't see much of a difference between zoomed in photos taken on the pixel fold versus the Pixel seven Pro.
Speaker 1: But of [00:04:00] course, the pixel folds camera is about much more than just photo quality alone. It's also about how you take those photos. Because the pixel fold is a foldable phone, you have a much more flexibility when setting up your shots. You can open it up halfway, for example, and prop it open on a nearby surface for times when you might wanna jump in the photo or if you just want the camera to be a bit more steady than it might be in your hand. But again, be sure to check out our full written review, which is going to have many more impressions and comparisons [00:04:30] about the pixel folds camera. The pixel fold runs on Google's tensor G2 processor, which is the same chip that powers the Pixel seven lineup. So far, performance has been pretty smooth. Apps open quickly, the camera launches right away, and apps smoothly transitioned between the front display and the inner display, which is really important on a phone like this.
Speaker 1: The tensor G2 processor is about much more than performance and speed alone. It's really about the features that you get because of that chip like photo one blur, which sharpens older photos [00:05:00] that might be out of focus and some of Google's translation features. Another thing I really like about the pixel fold so far is the design. Yes, it's a bit wide. It kind of feels like a a passport or a moleskin notebook, but it's really thin when it's opened. If you take a look at the way it looks when it's opened, it does feel exceptionally thin compared to something like the Z fold four. And it also folds completely shut when it's closed with no gap, which is really great. And also on the back of the phone, the camera module [00:05:30] kind of rests flat against a table when you have the phone on a surface, which is great because it doesn't tend to wobble back and forth the way the Galaxy Z fold four sometimes does.
Speaker 1: You can also prop open the phone like in mini laptop and what Google calls tabletop mode. And this can be really useful if you're taking a video call or if you're watching a video since you don't have to prop up the phone again. This is a really useful feature for a foldable, and it's one of the things that really sets Foldables apart compared to non [00:06:00] foldable phones, but it's not necessarily new either. Samsung has been doing this for years. Overall, Google's first foldable is off to a really promising start. I really like the wider recovery screen. It makes the fold feel much more useful for watching video and for texting when the phone is closed. And I also love that the phone folds completely shut when it's closed, which makes it feel a bit more sleek than Samsung's galaxies you fold for. That said, I don't necessarily feel like Google is bringing anything new to the table just yet.
Speaker 1: [00:06:30] A lot of the multitasking features we've seen have existed before, but I do think that Google is gonna continue to update the pixel fold over time with new features just like it does with other pixel phones. The thing I'm most excited about is seeing how Google leverages both the inner screen and the outer screen together, but it sounds like we'll have to wait until Android 14 comes out to see how that works. And once again, don't forget to check out our written review for our full thoughts and impressions on the pixel fold so far. Thanks for [00:07:00] watching and I'll see you next time.
