I’ve had the Pixel Fold for about a week now and have daily driven the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, 3, and 4 and flip 3 over the past few years. I have some pretty decent experience with American available foldables since they started really popping off.
I just wanted a place for people to ask questions and I can give some quick impressions about what I like and dislike about the new Pixel Fold compared to the Samsung foldables I had.
Pixel Fold Pros:
- Much more usable front screen
- Much
smoother. Definitely have not run into as many glitches or hiccups or stutters as any of the folds that I used - Software in general is much more cohesive and better designed
- Pixel exclusive software features
- Better camera in almost every category
- Folds flat and thinner
- Less noticeable crease
Pixel fold cons:
- Charges slower even using same charger
- Battery life is good but could be better. Hopefully improved with software updates
- Software is less customizable. bottom gesture bar cannot be hidden or have any app be in split screen the way you want it
- Screens have the same contrast I think, but the galaxies are noticeably brighter
- Pretty picky with the charging support and wireless chargers that can enable quick charging
- Bezels on the inside and a little bit of the outside are more noticeable, but that’s really not a bother
I’ll update this list more when I think about it, but feel free to ask any questions you have below!
I got my pixel fold this Wednesday. I have been enjoying it, but I got two things
- What’s the best way to clean the inner screen? Concerned getting too much dust on it. I bought a variety pack of microfiber and found the one put fibers on it, one with out the soft fibers however seemed pretty good at removing most of the dust, I then used sweat from a glass to lightly water / rinse the screen.
- I am using KISS launcher. I noticed the taskbar unfolded will hide when it’s not supposed to. Changing navigation temporarily fixed it in the settings. Found Samsung folds had it tied to the action launcher so I them thought to swap to pixel launcher and it seemed to work flawlessly. Now testing out setting pixel launcher to unoptimized so it hopefully runs well and keeps the taskbar working. I saw Android 14 also has enhancements for taskbar so hopefully they are making it not tied to the default launcher then if that’s the case for the pixel fold as well?
Honestly I’ve tried a couple different things. If you’re just trying to get a little bit of dust off, you can use like a camera cleaning brush. They are super fine bristles that are meant to clean off DSLR cameras. Otherwise I also do something you do which is take a little bit of water and a clean cloth, preferably microfiber to just wipe it a little bit clean
If you want a little extra clean maybe some disinfectant you can use like 75% alcohol wipes. Just wipe the screen in One direction so you don’t get swirls. Just in case there’s something under it. And then you can finish it off with the microfiber
As far as some of the launcher stuff, yeah that’s the one downside to being on the pixel operating system. Things are a little more closed off similar to Apple, but they provide a pretty decent service. Here’s hoping that Android 14 will let you expand those services to other launchers and shit
What do you expect to do by the fall? Will you stick with the pixel, get a fold 5, oneplus fold?
Based on the leaks the fold five is the same thing as four with upgraded specs. I was never much of a gamer on the phone so I don’t really need to hottest fastest processor as long as the software is pretty good.
The OnePlus phone looks interesting but honestly, the thing that is the killer feature for me is the software and that’s what Pixel has done so smooth and cohesive.
So unless something really unexpected happens for either of those phones or probably stay with the pixel but I’ll see
From daily handling and overall feel in the hand, which device feels more high quality and better engineered to you
I mean credit to both when they both feel very sturdy and a complete package.
But I think because the pixel folds flat and has much more usable front screen It feels like less of a prototype and more like a functional product
I had a Flip 3, and while I loved the hardware, I strongly dislike One UI. I know it’s gotten a lot better in recent years, but it just isn’t as intuitive as Pixel OS (Does it have an official name? I know it’s not stock AOSP.)
But I’m in absolute love with my Fold. I agree with most of your cons, but they’re really not big deals for me.
Yea the hardware was top notch. It was even pretty reliable. But I had the same issue. One UI is better than TouchWiz by miles but still lacks that something that makes it smooth compared to the pixels.
But yes the cons definitely do not outweigh the pros
Fellow Fold user, I’m loving mine as well. Got it as a test and was fully prepared to return it if it wasn’t “$1,800 good.” In my opinion, it is. I’m hooked.
Yea i heard all the doom and gloom about first gen pixel products and was prepared for the worst. So far, I have absoutley no reason to return it. In fact, kinda rejuvinated my love for the market since the folded form factor is so nice! and damn do i love the pixel OS and ecosystem. the closest thing android has to iPhone smoothness
Not about any specific device, but why a foldable? Is it really better? I just assumed all foldables would die out because it seems like such a gimmick. I’m surprised to hear they’re still a thing
I mean it’s kinda up to your use case but I really like the idea of having a small tablet with my at all times to read, watch, or do work. Plus the outside screen. It really makes things easier to like are Just send messages and stuff and use it as normal phone
It really blows my mind to hear opinions like this because my viewpoint is so overwhelmingly the opposite. To me it seems like the clear next step; we have phones in our pockets and tablets in our homes. What if we could combine them to get the best of both worlds? The biggest issues I’ve heard are durability and price; both things that plagued early smart phones. You dropped your iphone from 2 inches or let it touch your keys for two seconds and the screen is ruined. The iphone 1 was $500, post subsidized, something unheard of back then.
Both of those are solved now and I’m sure in time foldables will do it as well. It might just end up taking apple hopping on board to really bring it to the mainstream like how they’re going to do with their VR set.
Can I ask why you think it’s such a gimmick?
I guess because I don’t have a tablet 😅 just never really had the need. But I can see why you’d like a bigger phone screen if you regularly use a tablet.
More of a general foldable question, but is the weight and thickness over a traditional phone a big deal?
It’s funny cuz I thought it would be much heavier and much thicker than a traditional phone too. But at least with the pixel folds hinge design, it folds pretty flat. Its not that much thicker than a regular phone.
The same goes for the weight. It’s not like double the weight of a normal phone. Maybe it’s like 20 25% heavier but it’s not super noticeable like you’re holding a brick or something. Over the past couple years I would definitely say you get used to it much quicker than you think and then it just becomes like a normal phone
My Pixel 6 Pro is already on the bigger and heavier side of normal phones so I could see myself getting used to a foldable fairly quickly, thanks for the answer!
Did you see this report on the fold? What did you think?
I heard a rumor that this guy is known to break phones lol. I don’t know how true it is but this doesn’t worry too much. I have had folds for the last 3 years and not one broke so far. knocks on wood
Which one feels heavier to you?
I think because the galaxy fold is very like hinge-based, It feels heavier in the hand. Like the pixel spreads out its weight pretty well
Which one feels sturdier
I mean they are both really sturdy. Kind of a toss up. However the clap when you close the pixel is very satisfying
How would you compare the battery to the Galaxy Fold 4? Also heard reports of it overheating, have you experienced that?
It’s still a little early to tell but it’s definitely average. Not amazing by any means. It’s pretty similar to the fold I think if not a bit worse.
As far as overheating, I had one instance with it when I was in the car, using wireless Android Auto, while charging and in direct sunlight and the display got less bright and a message came up that it was hot. A couple seconds under the AC vent and it was fine.
