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Google’s second-gen book-style foldable is right around the corner. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is expected to arrive on August 13. While we’re waiting for that to happen, we’re here to compare the first-gen model with Samsung’s brand new foldable flagship. In this article, we’ll be comparing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Google Pixel Fold. These two devices are… well, they’re very, very different.
As per usual, we’ll first list their specifications and will take it from there. Following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. There is a lot of ground to cover in this one, so without further ado, let’s get down to it. This article will hopefully help you determine whether the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is worth upgrading to.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 & Google Pixel Fold, respectively
– Screen size (main):
7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 2,600 nits)
7.6-inch Foldable OLED display (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,450 nits)
– Screen Size (cover):
6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (120Hz, 1,600 nits)
5.8-inch OLED (120Hz)
– Display resolution (main):
1856 x 2160
1840 x 2208
– Display resolution (cover):
2376 x 968
2092 x 1080
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
Google Tensor G2
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB (LPDDR5)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom)
48MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, OIS), 10.8MP (ultrawide, 121-degree FoV), 10.8MP (telephoto, 5x optical zoom, OIS)
– Front cameras:
4MP (under display, main display, f/1.8 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
8MP (main display, f/2.0 aperture), 9.5MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
– Battery:
4,821mAh
4,805mAh
– Charging:
25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (no charger)
21W wired, 7.5W wireless (no charger)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
158.7 x 139.7 x 5.8mm
153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm
– Dimensions (folded):
153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm
139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm
– Weight:
239 grams
283 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/5.2
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 14 with One UI 6.1.1
Android 13 (upgradable)
– Price:
$1,699
$1,799+
– Buy:
Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Samsung / Best Buy)
Google Pixel Fold (Best Buy)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Google Pixel Fold: Design
Both of these smartphones are made out of metal and glass. They do have entirely different shapes, though. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with a flat frame all around, which is not the case with the Google Pixel Fold. These two devices not only look different when you look at them, but they feel entirely different in the hand. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is considerably taller, but also considerably narrower due to vastly different aspect ratios.
Speaking of dimensions, the two smartphones are exactly the same in terms of thickness when folded, and almost the same when unfolded. The weight is a major differentiating factor, though. The Google Pixel Fold is considerably heavier at 283 grams. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 weighs 239 grams. There are even lighter book-style foldables available in the market, so the Pixel Fold is considered to be truly heavy, and you will notice that.
Both smartphones are quite slippery. Both of them have a centered display camera hole on their cover displays. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has an under-display camera on the main display. The Pixel Fold, on the flip side, has a camera hidden in the bezel. You will also notice that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has sharper corners than the Pixel Fold. Both phones are water and dust-resistant, by the way. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with an IP48 rating, while the Pixel Fold offers an IPX8 rating.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Google Pixel Fold: Display
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with a 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. That panel offers an 1856 x 2160 resolution, and it has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. It supports HDR10+ content, and its brightness goes up to 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is around 91%. The cover display on the phone measures 6.3 inches. It is a Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The resolution here is 2376 x 968 pixels, and the brightness goes up to 2,600 nits. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this panel.
The Google Pixel Fold has a 7.6-inch main display. That is a Foldable OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ content, and its peak brightness is at 1,450 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is around 83%, and the resolution is 1840 x 2208 pixels. The cover display on the phone measures 5.8 inches, and it’s an OLED panel. The refresh rate is 120Hz, while HDR content is supported. The resolution on this display is 2092 x 1080, and the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel. This display has a peak brightness of 1,550 nits.
Now, all four of these displays are good, but there are some differences. All of them are vivid and have good viewing angles. They are also more than sharp enough and have good touch response. The display crease on both main panels is not the best, though. It’s more noticeable than on phones from competitors. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 displays also have a brightness advantage. Both displays are brighter than the panels from the Google Pixel Fold.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Google Pixel Fold: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor. That is Qualcomm’s most powerful chip, a 4nm processor. This smartphone also offers 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Google Tensor G2 fuels the Pixel Fold, on the other hand. That is Google’s very own 5nm chip. It’s technically inferior to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The phone does pack in 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.
Despite the fact the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a considerably more powerful chip, not many of you will actually notice that in day-to-day use. You will notice it if you compare the phones side by side. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 can open apps a bit quicker, while it’s also a bit snappier when it comes to multitasking and so on. The difference is not that big, though. Still, the hardware advantage of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is obvious in all aspects.
What about gaming? Well, that’s where you will notice a difference. The Google Tensor G2 is not made for gaming, Google made that obvious. You can play games, of course, but if you fire up more demanding games, you will definitely notice a difference. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can chew through basically anything without a problem. The Tensor G2 will show it’s inferior when such games are concerned.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Google Pixel Fold: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 4,400mAh battery on the inside. The Google Pixel Fold, on the flip side, includes a 4,821mAh battery. In our experience, both of these smartphones actually offer really good battery life. We’ve managed to cross the 7-hour scree-on-time on both of them, without a problem. Do note that we do not exactly play a lot of games, other than for testing, but both phones were properly pushed while in use.
With that being said, your mileage may vary, considerably. There are two displays on each of these two smartphones, and you will get noticeably better battery life if you stick more to cover displays. They are smaller and do consume less battery life. Your usage will be different in other ways too, while you will have different apps installed, and have different signal strengths. There are a lot of factors to consider here.
When charging is concerned, neither phone is particularly impressive. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Pixel Fold offers 21W wired and 7.5W wireless charging. It will take you quite some time to charge both of them, they’re considerably behind the competition from China in this regard. Also, neither phone comes with a charger in the box.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Google Pixel Fold: Cameras
There are three cameras on the back of both of these smartphones. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The Google Pixel Fold, on othe other hand, has a 48-megapixel main camera, a 10.8-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 10.8-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (5x optical zoom).
Both of these phones do a good job in terms of photos, but they’re not the best around, not even when it comes to foldables. Still, the vast majority of you will be more than happy with the results. The Pixel Fold prefers more contrasty shots, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is not afraid to emphasize colors. Their main cameras are noticeably better than the rest of the sensors. They do a very good job in the daytime, while the nighttime performance is nothing to scoff at either. However, some noise does tend to creep into pictures in low light.
Ultrawide cameras are good, but nothing to write home about, especially when the light goes away. When it comes to telephoto snappers, the Pixel Fold does have the advantage of having a periscope telephoto camera. It can easily zoom in farther without losing a lot of detail, compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Both camera setups do their job properly, though they’re not the best around, as mentioned earlier, not even close.
Audio
Yes, you will find stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. Both sets are quite good, though we found the ones on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to be a bit louder, at least it seemed that way. The sound output is good from both devices, but once again, we preferred the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
There is no audio jack on either phone. So, if you want to connect your wired headphones, you’ll need a dongle. Alternatively, you can use Bluetooth for wireless connections. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with Bluetooth 5.3 support, while the Pixel Fold supports Bluetooth 5.2.