Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
It’s been an exciting year for foldable phones, thanks largely to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It’s a phone I haven’t been able to put down since launch. It’s not my daily driver, but it’s become my go-to work phone, the one that always draws a few too many stares for my liking. This is the year Samsung reclaimed mastery over the form factor and reminded everyone that foldables aren’t a fad, they’re the future.
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With an earlier launch and record-breaking sales, Samsung set the bar sky-high. So when Google followed with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, expectations were already stacked against it. On paper, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the most durable foldable you can buy. It also packs some impressive software tricks. But while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold brings the muscle, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 brings the mastery. Here are five ways Samsung’s refinement beats Google’s ambition in the foldable face-off, and a few where Google shows it’s not letting up the fight.
Which of the two foldable phones would you rather get? 79 votes Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 72 % Pixel 10 Pro Fold 28 %
1. The design and durability battle
If it were up to me, I would make “Design” the first three points on this list. That’s how dramatically different these two foldables feel in hand. It’s not like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is an ugly phone; it just doesn’t feel as slick as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 thanks to the bulk. The Samsung phone weighs just 215 grams, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is almost 50 grams heavier at 258g. The Moonstone colorway I received from Google is really one of my favorite colors on any phone this year, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s Blue Shadow is also a winner. Add to that the fact that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 goes for the taller, not wider, aesthetic, which makes it easier and more comfortable to operate with one hand. It also fits the palm so well, I found that not having to use both hands to use the phone most of the time, while it was actually the opposite on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. I hate to say this, but Google is lagging far behind when it comes to competing with the best foldable phones out there in terms of design, and this may be the last time the company gets away with it. If things don’t change, Google will soon find itself truly at the back of the line as sleeker foldables become the norm next year.
Google is lagging far behind when it comes to competing with the best foldables out there in terms of design.
That said, Google does deserve credit for its durability achievements. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold boasts an IP68 rating, making it the most water- and dust-resistant foldable on the market. That’s a big deal. Unfortunately, a durability test conducted by JerryRigEverything showed that Google hasn’t really managed to seal the hinge enough to avoid dust damage. The phone also broke in the bend test, with the battery catching fire at the end, which is something the YouTuber notes has never happened in their experience with any phone! That gives me cause to worry, especially since the Galaxy Z Fold 7 showed exceptional structural strength in the same test.
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