Hands-On With Google's Pixel Fold Smartphone

[MacWiz_007]

What about cases / protectors? The only people I see using a "naked" smartphone are fictitious people on drama series on Max and Apple TV+. In the real world we drop these things and have accidents. I'm curious to see case options that protect without getting in the way of the new era of usability.

I've never used a case on my foldables (Fold 3 & 4, now the Pixel Fold). I dropped the Z Fold 3 once in a year, the first week I owned it and it didn't hardly get damaged at all except a slight scuff on the hinge. I never dropped my Z Fold 4 or my Pixel Fold, to date. They do offer plenty of case options though.

 

[klky]

Despite the possibilities a foldable can bring, I can't look past the display having a fold or crease in it.

I'm sure Apple is working on a more elegant solution but for now, I would just love a more polished iPad mini.

 

[ackmondual]

View attachment 2235469
Ah yes... the future

[shrug] We've heard similar doom and gloom when the notch™ made its way to tech.

I’d pay $1,800 for an iOS foldable, 100%

I'd pay 1/6th of that for a foldable on either platform
Yeah I know, fat chance on iOS. Android is a better bet, but it'll be a long time there though!

 

[svish]

Good phone. Glad to see more manufacturers in the foldable space. Looking forward to the upcoming Z Fold 5

 

[Denzo]

I don’t mind Samsung devices but I’m not a Google fan since about the nexus days.

I can’t wait for apple to make one. I’d rather an apple foldable than apple vision which is where it seems they are focused. Looking at the price I’m not surprised.

 

[DFP1989]

Yes they are bigger, but I talk to people, and no-one carries these phones any more, they leave them in their backpacks, or in the car. The SE and Mini phones are the most popular in the consumer category for anyone who really uses their phone, and pays attention to weight.

Just…..so much lol, and so much wrong.

The Mini didn’t get a third gen due to its lack of popularity, and no one is leaving their phones in their car because it’s a few grams heavier than their old one.

 

[Dianneeraser]

It looks cool but not worth $1,800 for a smartphone.

Iphone Pro = $1000 + IPad Pro $800 = $1800. Might not be worth it for you, but someone might find value in it.

 

[Dianneeraser]

I'll never understand why anyone wants this. lol.

Thing is, you don‘t have too….

 

[GM-1]

I have been using it for a couple of weeks now. It is fast and sharp. I love the ability to use the larger screen when needed. Battery life is very good.

 

[Mr.gadgetify]

There appears to be no way to make a foldable screen look premium.

That crease makes it look like a cheap $10 kids toy.

You never even notice the crease. A million times people thY actually used a foldable for a week said that it just disappears similar to your notch. The notch is ugly as hell but it does disappear when you start using phone.

 

[nostaws]

In the 5 years that foldable smartphones have been a thing, I can count with all the fingers on one hand how many I've seen in the wild.

I see the smaller foldable phones all the time: the ones the size of an iPhone when open, and then fold in half vertically. These larger ones...a few.

 

[ThailandToo]

Th

The crease doesn't bother me at all. It disappears when viewing the inner display. Kind of like how the notch on an iPhone disappears. I'd prefer there to be no crease of course, but it being some sort of eyesore is something overblown by people who don't own and use foldables. I also remove the inner screen protector so it is actually ultra thin glass I am touching. Never had a scratch on the inner screen yet and I've now owned 3 foldables and 1 flip.

I never think the notch disappears… we just agree to disagree.

 

[surfzen21]

You never even notice the crease. A million times people thY actually used a foldable for a week said that it just disappears similar to your notch. The notch is ugly as hell but it does disappear when you start using phone.

I've seen a few in person and the crease definitely does not disappear.

I have a few scratches on my screen that I have not gotten used to and still look better than a crease.

The notch, which never really bothered me, is different from a crease since the notch is static and the crease is dynamic depending on what type of light hit it and where.

 

[TracerAnalog]

Foldables: cool concept, but current executions seem too fragile (so many posts on damaged screens, confirmed by family members who own Samsungs) and the crease is an eyesore to me. Waiting for a ‘proper’ foldable!

 

[snipr125]

Come on Apple, everyone else has released their foldables/flips, we are waiting on you now so hurry up!

 

[Ch3ckM4te]

Wow, cool! Is it running iOS or something Apple related? Just wondering why this is news here.

I can take notes on a piece a paper and fold it in half for you for $1,800, if you want to pay that much for a crease.

 

[ThailandToo]

I don’t want anything from Apple until the “glass” is in the fold area. It will happen. Just give it time. I don’t want anything like Google or Samsung have made. Those screen protectors that can’t be removed basically like holding the screen together with tape! Apple will sell many, so they need to wait until the technology is capable of not breaking within four days like one famous reviewer of the Google folding phone.

 

[ninethirty]

Solution in search of a problem.

 

[npmacuser5]

My iPhone is just like the pocket utility knifes of old. Nice to have when one needed to do a simple work. When I need to do a real work, get the proper tool a real pair of pliers. In this example an iPad or Mac. The idea behind the foldable phones, trying to make a super utility tool it would appear. What I have today, iPhone, iPad and Mac an awesome set of the right tool for the job.

 

[bobcomer]

I never think the notch disappears… we just agree to disagree.

It never does with me. In fact, I wont own a Macbook right now because of the notch, so I can understand.

But the "crease" is not really a crease, as a crease means a line of edge, implying a sharp distinction, and what's on a foldable is rounded and looks more like a dent to me. It's really not noticeable when the display is on and you're looking right at it. (for me it looks every bit as good as my iPhone 14 Pro.)

 

[scorpio vega]

When was the last time you used an Google or Samsung Android phone for any significant amount of time? Android 12 and 13 have been more stable than iOS was on my 12 PM. iOS has gone downhill significantly over the past 3-4 years. 4 or 5+ years ago, Android was unusable garbage. Times have changed.

I have an s23 lol. And I unfortunately have to use a pixel for work purposes.

The operating system is still a mess since I used it way back in the original G1 days. I’ve had nearly every milestone android phone (most droids on Verizon, most nexuses, the first 7 galaxies, the first “4g” phone in the evo).

I even owned niche Devices like the PlayStation phone Xperia play and I even owned the very first android foldable phone the Kyocera echo.

My opinion is based on the last 14 years of using android.

Ios has been perfectly fine for me every generation and model I’ve owned and I don’t have anywhere the level of issues or annoyances I do with android.

I enjoy my iPhone 14. My ultra has a lovely camera. That’s about it.

This is a beautiful phone but the Os is terrible. I’ll wait for apple. Much like the iPhone and ipad did for
Smartphones and tablets, apple
Will likely refine foldables.

 

[JustAnExpat]

Weight: 10oz (284g)

The weight of phones you hold in your hand all the time is becoming foolishly heavy.

iPhone 5s was 3.92oz
iPhone 7 was 4.87
iPhone 12-mini is 4.76oz
iPhone 14 Pro is 6.07oz
iPhone 14 Pro Max is 8.47oz

My iPad Air 4th gen is 16.16oz, which makes sense as it is 11' in size, lasts all day, etc.

Yes they are bigger, but I talk to people, and no-one carries these phones any more, they leave them in their backpacks, or in the car. The SE and Mini phones are the most popular in the consumer category for anyone who really uses their phone, and pays attention to weight.

I doubt it. In China and Asia, phones are the only computers most people own, and they love large displays there.

 

[Student of Life]

The technology is just not there yet, it's not at a point where the masses will embrace it. This is more of a physics issue. How durable is the screen, realistically how many times can it fold before breaking, the impact heat and cold have ( think Miami vs Aspen) and yeah the crease.

Again it makes sense, it will be a hit but the tech is not yet at that threshold mark to make it acceptable to the masses.

 

[ThailandToo]

I doubt it. In China and Asia, phones are the only computers most people own, and they love large displays there.

I can do so much of my work from my phones. I use my Mac or iPad 10% of the time and the iPhone or Android for 90% of my work. That’s why the costs are so minimal for what these phones can do.

 

[jsmitty]

The crease doesn't bother me and I barely notice it visually after using it a couple weeks. Tactilely it's like a little love tap from the Fold as your finger caresses the crease.