C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
The foldable Android market got a lot more interesting this week. At its latest Unpacked event on July 9, Samsung unveiled a trio of new folding phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 ushers in the most impressive foldable hardware from Samsung ever, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 gives Samsung’s flip phone the larger cover screen we’ve waited years for, and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE adds a much-needed affordable option to Samsung’s foldable lineup.
But while the new Fold and Flips are great news from Samsung, they’re also detrimental to Google’s folding phone ambitions. The Fold 7 and Flip 7 look to mark a new chapter for Samsung foldables, and based on what we know about Google’s 2025 Pixel lineup, it doesn’t seem like Google has any adequate way to counter Samsung.
Unless Google has secret plans up its sleeve that we don’t know about, I think it’s safe to say that Google’s foldable Pixel phones are in trouble.
Do you think Google's foldable Pixel phones are in a good place in 2025? 146 votes Yes, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was great and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold seems promising. 38 % They're OK, but I really want a Pixel Flip. 16 % No, Samsung and other companies have much better foldables. 40 % Other (let us know in the comments). 6 %
Google’s 2025 foldable plans aren’t enough
Google is widely expected to announce its next batch of Pixel phones in late August, and alongside the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, this is also where we should see the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
According to the rumor mill, this year’s Pixel Fold will be a very familiar one. The design is reportedly almost identical to that of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, meaning no drastic thickness or weight reductions. The outer display should be a little bigger (6.4 inches instead of 6.3 inches), Google’s new Tensor G5 chip will likely power the phone, and rumor has it the phone will feature an IP68 rating. But beyond those changes, that seems to be it.
In a bubble, that’s not a bad pitch for a new foldable Pixel. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a rock-solid handset. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold being that same phone but with a larger outer display, better chipset, and improved durability is a solid prospect, and one that, in any other year, Google probably could have gotten away with.
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
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