Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Which foldable is best for you?

Table of Contents

Let’s get ready to rumble with this Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6 face-off.

The Made by Google 2024 event gave us yet another foldable on the block: the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It comes with all the upgrades and AI features you’d expect in this era of smartphones. 

With its Pixel Fold out of the way, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold refines the usual first-gen setbacks with noticeable improvements. From the looks of it, it’s already giving Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 a run for its money.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 price and specs

Right off the bat, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6 are far from affordable smartphones. However, both deliver premium specs and the latest in AI tech, so you should be getting your money’s worth. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Credit: Mashable

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts at $1,799 and is available at the Google Store. That’s a smidge cheaper than Samsung’s $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is available on Samsung’s official store. That’s a $100 increase over the Galaxy Z Fold 5, whereas the Pixel’s price didn’t budge. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s base configurations:

• 8-inch Super Actua Flex inner display, 6.3-inch outer display

• 4,560mAh battery

• 16GB RAM

• 256GB or 512GB storage

• Tensor G4 processor

• IPX8 rating

• Rear camera: 48MP main lens, 10.5MP ultrawide lens, 10.8MP telephoto lens

• 10MP front camera

• 10MP inner camera when unfolded

• Google Gemini AI

And here’s what the Galaxy Z Fold 6 brings to the table:

• 7.6-inch AMOLED inner display, 6.3-inch outer display

• 4,400mAh battery

• 12GB RAM

• 256GB or 512GB storage

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor

• IP48 rating

• Rear camera: 50MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide lens, 10MP telephoto lens

• 10MP front camera

• 4MP inner camera when unfolded

• Galaxy AI 

On paper, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold touts bigger numbers, including in its outer display size, RAM, and battery. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 dishes out larger megapixels in the camera department, and is equipped with a beefier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Credit: Mashable

Regardless, both offer similarly impressive specs, which puts the Z Fold 6’s $100 difference into question. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Displays

It’s all about OLED here, as size is just about the only difference between the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6. You can expect bright, 120Hz displays with vivid colors on both foldables, but the Pixel kicks things up a notch with a bigger inner display. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Credit: Mashable

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with an 8-inch Super Actua Flex inner display (2076 x 2152 resolution) and a 6.3-inch outer display (1080 x 2424 resolution). It’s a noticeably bigger experience than the original Pixel Fold (7.6-inch inner display, 5.8-inch outer display) — and it’s 80% brighter, reaching up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Credit: Mashable

As for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, its inner display boasts a 7.6-inch AMOLED screen (2160 x 1856 resolution), and the outer display now stands at 6.3 inches (968 x 2376 resolution). That’s a 0.1-inch size up over the Z Fold 5 for the cover screen. Plus, both screens can now reach a substantially higher 2,600 nits of max brightness compared to the Z Fold 5’s 1,750 nits. Not as high as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 2,700 nits, though. 

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 8-inch inner display is one of the biggest seen on a foldable, which is an impressive feat. So far, its displays outshine the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but its size may be unwieldy for those who prefer a more compact phone. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Design

In essence, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6 are foldable versions of their mainstream counterparts, namely the Pixel 9 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra, respectively. Both sport a premium tablet foldable design, but it’s fair to say the second-gen Pixel Fold has seen the biggest changes. 

Measuring 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5 mm folded, 155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1 mm unfolded, and weighing 257 grams, it’s thinner and lighter than the previous iteration. It also looks more advanced, thanks to its double-stacked rear camera cutouts. Otherwise, it mimics the overall design aesthetic of a Pixel phone — camera visor included — but leaves more room for its displays to shine. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Credit: Mashable

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 takes the “if it ain’t broke” approach, as it only makes minor design changes to its familiar Z Fold series formula.

Coming in at 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm folded and 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is shorter and narrower than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but it’s thicker than the Google rival.

The Z Fold 6 is noticeably lighter, too, weighing 239grams — making it 18 grams lighter than its competitor. Its inner display may not be as big as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but its design is certainly more compact. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Credit: Mashable

For color options, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold simply comes in Obsidian and Porcelain, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a few more options, including Crafted Black, White, Pink, Navy, and Silver Shadow. 

It’s worth noting the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has an IPX8 rating, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers an IP48 rating. This means both are water-resistant, but the Z Fold 6 comes with better dust resistance — a rare trait for foldables.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Performance

Performance in foldables is important — and they were made for multitasking and juggling several apps simultaneously. Despite Google and Samsung using different processors, it’s safe to say both the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6 can handle being under pressure, thanks to their chipsets. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Credit: Mashable

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with Google’s new Tensor G4 processor, which aims to give AI features a boost and better performance. This includes tools like Gemini with Split Screen, Chat with Gemini, and Gemini Nano for Pixel-exclusive AI features. 

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 boasts a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip — and it brings the heat. Along with enhancing Galaxy AI features, it offers raw power. As the Galaxy S24 Ultra will attest, this processor is powerful, scoring 7,078 in our Geekbench 6 test.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Credit: Mashable

Google’s custom-made Tensor chips aren’t known for their power, but they do work well with AI features and image processing. Expect a similar experience with the Tensor G4, but if you’re after stronger performance, the Z Fold 6’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has that covered. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Battery life

Despite a difference in battery capacity, Google and Samsung’s last-gen foldables offered excellent battery life. With the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6, we can expect the all-day battery. 

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with a 4,560mAh battery capacity, which is smaller than the Pixel Fold’s 4,821mAh capacity. While it still needs to be tested, the upgraded Tensor G4 chip should deliver better power efficiency. At the very least, it should last a little over 24 hours, similar to the Pixel Fold. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 turns up with a smaller 4,400mAh battery capacity, but not by much. Either way, that’s the same as the Z Fold 5 — and that lasted around 28 hours in our tests. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Cameras

Camera specs are harder to judge on these foldables, as Google and Samsung’s image processing and AI features can transform an average photo into specific kinds of masterpieces. Still, a higher megapixel count can make for more detailed snaps. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Credit: Mashable

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold boasts a triple rear camera array, with a 48MP wide camera, 10.5MP ultrawide camera with autofocus, and a 10.8MP telephoto camera. You can also expect a 10MP front camera and a 10MP Dual PD inner display camera. Needless to say, there are multiple ways to snap a shot. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Credit: Mashable

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6’s rear triple camera comes with a 50MP PD wide camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP telephoto lens. There’s also the 10MP selfie camera and 4MP under-display lens. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Software

These are both Android foldables, so the user experience on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6 isn’t too dissimilar. Still, Google uses “stock” Android, which makes it feel right at home on a Pixel, but Samsung’s One UI has had many years to perfect the foldable software experience. 

Either way, both run on Android 14 — and they come with seven years of OS and security updates. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: AI

It’s Gemini vs. Galaxy AI, even though Google’s main competitor is OpenAI’s ChatGPT. That’s not to say Galaxy AI doesn’t offer some strengths, like its live translations and instant time lapse effects on photos, but it can be a bit hit-or-miss on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. 

Gemini is one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence (formerly Google Bard), and it aims to shine on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The built-in AI assistant integrates with many of Google’s apps, including Calendar, Maps, Gmail, Photos, and more. There’s also Pixel Screenshots, an AI feature that uses Gemini Nano to help save, organize, and recall things you want to remember – like events and locations – just by speaking with it. 

It will be interesting to see how Gemini can be used, especially compared to Galaxy AI. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Which is best?

While Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series has a longer legacy, Google’s second take on the Pixel Fold introduces bold changes to tablet foldables. Namely, its significantly larger inner display, wider design, and thinner form factor. 

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks to impress, and for a slightly more affordable price, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 seems to cater to those who enjoy a more compact design — one that can be used with one hand when folded. Of course, these are still premium foldables, so it comes down to brand allegiance, too. 

We’ll need more hands-on time with both foldable phones to see how they perform. In the meantime, the Made by Google 2024 event gave us a slew of new Pixel products worth checking out, including a new Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel Buds Pro 2, Pixel Watch 3, and more.