Samsung’s got big Canadian foldable competition

Google has officially introduced its new Pixel 9 line, which showcases the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. While the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro have had a bit of a design shift since last year, showing off their new, more refined bodies, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has been going through an identity crisis.

Even the name ‘Pixel 9 Pro Fold’ indicates that its identity has shifted from one product line to another. The handset also looks nothing like its predecessor, the Pixel Fold—if you can even call it the predecessor. The two foldable devices are so different that you’d expect that they were from two different manufacturers. However, despite this identity shift, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold seems like an impressive device that I can’t wait to get my hands on.

Move over Samsung: the Canadian market finally has another phone-to-tablet foldable, with one major upgrade over the Z Fold series — that wide-ass front screen. This year, Google is bringing its Pixel foldable to Canada, and for someone who loved the original Pixel Fold, I’m excited. While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a different design and name than the previous Pixel Fold, the company has done something truly interesting by going in a completely different direction and coming out with a phone that’s not only the thinnest in its category but also has the largest display — at least in the Canadian market.

I want to check my biases at the door, but c’mon, this phone seems awesome.

On the front, it sports a 6.3-inch display with a wide aspect ratio; on the inside, it has an 8-inch panel, unfolded it 5.1mm, folded it only 10.5mm; it also has of RAM, a triple camera setup, and a lot of AI gimmicks.

New look, who dis

I couldn’t get over how great the 9 Pro Fold looked. I was a massive fan of the original design, but this one is also pretty great. Although it’s wider and taller than the OnePlus Open, it’s thinner, precisely what you want when using a foldable. And even though the device is the heaviest foldable on the market, weighing 257g, it helps the handset feel solid and premium despite its thinness. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels much more premium than the original and competes with the Z Fold 6.

However, I really hope that one day, Google will revisit the original design and refine it. Perhaps it will use it for a more affordable foldable instead of in the main series line.

The handset sports a stained metal frame and a silky matte back similar to the other Pixel 9 series devices. The hinge feels solid and sturdy, and unlike the original Pixel Fold, the 9 Pro Fold can fold completely flat. While I wasn’t one of the people who hated that the Pixel Fold had issues lying flat, it’s good that Google has made this update to shut up the naysayers. However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s crease is noticeable even when unfolded. It’s not horrible, but you can see it more than the Z Fold 6, and I can see people not liking it. I don’t mind it much, though, and I didn’t even notice it immediately until someone pointed it out.

It’s worth noting that I’m not a big fan of the new camera bump and would have rather something similar to the other Pixel 9 devices, but I think it does make sense since the bar wouldn’t be able to go across both sides of the back panel.

Unfortunately, the handset only comes in Porcelain and Obsidian. I hoped Hazel had made its way to the Pro Fold, but it’s not a huge deal, and the Porcelain continues to look great. The handset also comes with IPX8 waterproofing, so you can get it wet and bring it into the shower without any issues.

New king?

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series has been at the top for its entire existence — at least in Canada, and now it’s getting some serious competition. While the OnePlus Open is a good competitor, people expect it to be plagued by slow updates like other OnePlus devices. However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold won’t have this issue, in fact with Google backing this handset it’ll have a prompter update schedule than even Samsung’s phones.

Unfortunately, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold didn’t get Pixel 9 Pro cameras, offering a 48-megapixel primary shooter, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom. That 5x zoom is a welcome addition, and it’s something that Samsung took a long time to bring to the Z Fold series. The 9 Pro Fold features the same shooters as the original Pixel Fold, which offered fantastic images that showed beautiful colours and details. Despite the lack of ‘Pro’ cameras, Google’s cameras definitely won’t disappoint. And even though the 9 Pro Fold won’t have the 9 Pro series’ new 42-megapixel selfie shooters, you can use the Fold’s 48-megapixel primary camera to take selfies instead.

I’m also looking forward to playing with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s Gemini Nano features like Pixel Screenshots, Gemini Live and more. Many of these features are also coming to other Pixel 9 devices — you can learn more about them here.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold price starts at $2,399, which is crazy expensive. Other foldables, like the OnePlus Open, cost $2,299 outright, and the Z Fold 6, on the other hand, is priced at $2,564 CAD, meaning the 9 Pro Fold sits directly in the middle. If you compare the 9 Pro Fold to the other foldables on the Canadian market, its $2,399 price tag doesn’t seem so bad. Still, it’s a lot of money to stomach, so keep an eye on MobileSyrup to see whether the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is worth the money.

The handset is now available for pre-order and will launch on September 4th.

You can read all the news about today’s Google event by following this link.