Samsung has been moving much more slowly than its competitors in the foldable smartphone segment. While its rivals are offering bigger and wider displays, better cameras, and bigger batteries, Samsung’s new foldables have changed very little this year. The company’s task has become even more difficult since Google announced that it will launch the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in India.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold to rival Galaxy Z Fold 6 in India
Earlier this week, Samsung announced that its new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, have received 40% more pre-orders in India than their predecessors. However, selling these phones won’t be as easy in the future. Google has revealed that it plans to launch the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in India on August 14. This is the first time that Google is launching a foldable phone in India.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold design leaked a few months ago, and it seems that those leaks were correct. The phone seems to have a much better design than the first-gen Pixel Fold. It no longer looks like a prototype. Additionally, it has three rear-facing cameras: a 64MP Sony IMX787 main camera, a 12MP ISOCELL 3LU ultra-wide camera, and a 10.5MP ISOCELL 3J1 telephoto camera. On the front, it has a 10MP ISOCELL 3K1 camera.
It is said to feature a 6.4-inch cover display and a 7.9-inch inner foldable display, both of which are larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It also features the Tensor G4 processor, 12GB/16GB of RAM, and 256GB/512GB/1TB of storage. The device is powered by a 4,560mAh battery and supports 32.67W fast charging. Even in this regard, it seems ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
It remains to be seen, however, whether the Pixel 9 Pro Fold benefits from the same IP48 particle and water resistance rating as the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Watch our Galaxy Z Fold 6 hands-on video below.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Galaxy S8 chip in Samsung’s new foldable phone could be more powerful than the Tensor G4 chip in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, it will likely run Android 15 out of the box and get the same number of major Android OS updates as Samsung’s new foldable phone.
Google’s new foldable phone can also be expected to feature stereo speakers, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, GPS, Wi-Fi 6E/7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port. Both phones seem to have some advantages, and the price may determine which phone will become the favorite among Indian consumers.
