Last year, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold raised the bar significantly over its predecessor, while also giving the Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 a run for its money. Of course, the market never stands still for long. The new Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 is now here, but how does it compare to its Tensor-powered rival? For me, the choice is clear.
Although the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was a close rival to the Galaxy Fold 6, Samsung’s latest model brings enough improvements to widen the gap. Below, I’ll dive into why I recommend the Z Fold 7 over the Pixel 9 Pro Fold for most users. For context, while I haven’t yet used the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in person, I’m very familiar with the Fold and Flip families, as well as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Which of the two phones would you rather buy? 2 votes Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 50 % Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold 50 %
Similar on the surface, yet very different approaches
Galaxy Z Fold 7 Pixel 9 Pro Fold
At first glance, there are quite a few similarities between these two phones. Both offer a similar form factor with an 8-inch folding display and run the latest version of Android, complete with plenty of AI features. As usual, though, Samsung and Google take fairly different paths beyond the basics.
For starters, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is actually thinner and lighter than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold by a fairly noticeable margin. The former measures only 8.9mm thick when folded and 4.2mm unfolded, with a weight of 215g, compared to the Pro Fold’s 10.5mm folded, 5.1mm unfolded, and 257g weight. Of course, the thinner design comes with a bit of sacrifice, as the S Pen is no longer built in, which might be a turn-off for some.
Traditionally, Samsung and Google have been a bit behind the curve when it comes to the thickness and weight of their foldables, at least compared to some of the Chinese alternatives, including the OnePlus Open. Thankfully, Samsung has been working hard to address this, and with the Fold 7, it finally achieves a thickness that shames almost every one of its rivals, though the Magic V5 and a few other Chinese models still have a marginal lead.
It’s not just the size and design differences between the two, as Samsung and Google have a very different approach to hardware as well. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold continues Google’s tradition of focusing on ease of use, simplicity, and software refinement over pure muscle. You’ll find fewer features than on Samsung’s UI, but what’s there is carefully curated and usually aimed at mainstream users over the more niche-specific features you’ll find with Samsung if you look deep enough.
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
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