Price: Still Expensive, But at Least It Hasn’t Changed
Phones that fold cost a whole lot of folding money, but it looks like Google isn’t raising prices this year. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold costs $1,799 for the 256GB model and $1,919 for the 512GB model. Google has so far only given us the price of the 256GB version of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which remains $1,799. I hope the 512GB model stays at $1,919. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes with the same 16GB of RAM as its predecessor.
New this year, however, Google is offering a 1TB version of the 10 Pro Fold. Expect that to cost a pretty penny (or 200,000 of them).
Winner: Tie
Size: Nothing to See Here
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold mostly carries over the dimensions of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Closed, it measures 6.1 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD), which is identical to the previous model’s 6.1 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches. When open, the 10 Pro Fold measures 6.1 by 5.9 by 0.2 inches; again, identical to the 9 Pro Fold’s 6.1 by 5.9 by 0.2 inches.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The new phone is also the same weight: 9.1 ounces. With the size and weight unchanged year over year, you won’t find your pocket any less full or weighted down.
Winner: Tie
Design: Small, Meaningful Upgrades
Google believes the Fold’s basic design is good enough as is. That means the appearance hasn’t really changed from one generation to the next. However, Google did make subtle improvements to the new phone that go a long way toward making it a better phone.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
First, it’s a bit tougher. Google engineered the frame out of a revised high-strength aluminum to make it stronger. Further, it redesigned the phone’s hinge. It’s now made of steel and doesn’t rely on gears, which makes it more resilient. An aluminum shield covers the steel hinge.
More importantly, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold meets the IP68 rating for protection against dust and water. Google claims it’s the first folding phone to meet this criterion. The 9 Pro Fold is rated IPX8, which means it isn’t as protected against smaller dust particles. This gives the 10 Pro Fold a definite advantage over the 9 Pro Fold.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Most everything else about the design remains the same, including the buttons, ports, speakers, and camera module. Google moved the SIM card tray from the bottom edge to the top edge. Perhaps the most subtle difference? The side edges of the new phone have a slightly more rounded profile, which makes the phone feel less blocky in your hand. It’s a case of “a little goes a long way.”
Last, the phone is now available in two new colorways: Moonstone (gray) or Jade (green).
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro Fold
Displays: A Few Nits Make a Difference
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s outer and inner displays have about the same number of pixels as the 9 Pro Fold’s, but it has more nits for better visibility.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Google trimmed the bezels around the outer display’s frame, which allowed it to expand the screen just a smidge from 6.3 inches on the 9 Pro Fold to 6.4 inches on this year’s phone. It carries over the 20:9 aspect ratio and has a resolution of 2,364 by 1,080 pixels for a density of 408 pixels per inch (ppi). It enjoys a variable refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz. The Pixel 9’s screen was smaller but sharper, with 2,424 by 1,080 pixels and a density of 422ppi. Both screens support HDR content at 24 bits with a 2-million-to-1 contrast ratio. Google raised the outer screen’s peak brightness by 11% from 2,700 nits to 3,000 nits. Basically, the 10 Pro Fold’s screen should be a little easier to see outdoors when you need to check a notification.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Meanwhile, the inner Super Actua display is unchanged. It measures 8.0 inches and has a resolution of 2,152 by 2,076 pixels at 373ppi, with a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz. The only difference here is (again) more nits. It makes the same jump from 2,700 nits to 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
Last, Google says the inner screen has more layers of new anti-impact film to protect it from damage.
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Winner: Pixel 10 Pro Fold
Performance: Google Promises Big Gains
As expected, Google has an all-new processor for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Where the Pixel 9 Pro Fold used the Samsung-made Tensor G4, the 10 Pro Fold moves to the TSMC-made Tensor G5. The G5 is manufactured via TSMC’s 3nm process and should show gains in speed and power use. Specifically, Google says the chip is 34% faster and more efficient than the G4. The chip has a new architecture with a new ISP, DSP, and TPU, which Google says allows the G5 to process more AI tasks on-device than before. Moreover, the G5 has an improved GPU, which Google says will help the entire Pixel 10 series perform better when gaming. Last, the G5 supports the fastest versions of LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage for quicker interactions between the modules.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The 10 Pro Fold mostly carries over its radios from the 9 Pro Fold. That means it supports sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G, and will run on the C-band spectrum used by the major US carriers. It also has Bluetooth 6, dual-band GPS, NFC, and Wi-Fi 7.
I expect the 10 to surpass the 9 in benchmark testing once it’s available for review.
Winner: Too early to tell (but leaning 10 Pro Fold)
Battery Life: A Much-Needed Boost
The new foldable has a 5,015mAh battery inside that Google claims will last for 30 full hours. It also supports fast 30W wired charging, and 15W Qi2 wireless charging, along with the company’s new Pixelsnap wireless charging accessory ecosystem. Pixelsnap includes magnetic cases, chargers, and other gear for easier and more secure wireless charging.
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Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The old foldable has a smaller 4,650mAh battery that Google said would last for 24 hours. It supports the same 30W wired charging, but slower 7.5W wireless charging, and it is not compatible with magnetic charging accessories.
Even though I haven’t run the Pixel 10 Pro Fold through our battery test yet, I expect it to come out ahead of the Pixel 9. Moreover, its ability to use magnetic charging accessories gives it a huge advantage.
Winner: Too early to tell (but leaning 10 Pro Fold)
Cameras: It’s All Up to the Algorithms
Based on the specs, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold appears to use the exact same camera sensors and lenses as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. That means any improvement will come from the Tensor G5, its ISP/DSP, and Google’s software tweaks.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Both phones have a 48MP main camera at f/1.7, with an 82-degree field of view (FoV). The ultra-wide camera has a 10.5MP sensor with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 121-degree FoV. The telephoto camera has a 10.8MP sensor with an aperture of f/3.1, a 23-degree FoV, and 5x optical zoom with 20x Super Res Zoom. The only smaller differences are the fields of view of the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, which narrow slightly from 127 and 25 degrees, respectively. Meanwhile, the selfie cameras have identical specs with 10MP sensors at f/2.2 with an 87-degree FoV.
With the hardware unchanged, Google’s software will be doing all the work to make sharper, better photos. It claims the G5’s new image signal processor is capable of great things, but only a full test will reveal the truth.
Winner: Too early to tell
Software and Gemini: Smarter AI
The Pixel 10 series is Google’s first set of phones to ship with the full version of Android 16. The 9 Pro Fold shipped with Android 14, though it has been updated to Android 16—but without the latest Material Design Expressive layer. Both phones are set to receive seven years of software and security updates, so they are basically matched there.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Google is good about eventually sharing its new AI features with older devices. The 10 Pro Fold will have a lead on some of the latest tools, such as Magic Cue, which surfaces contextually relevant info during calls or text conversations, and Camera Coach, which teaches you how to take well-framed photos. However, the 10 Pro Fold is a year newer, so it will gain at least one more version of Android than the 9 Pro Fold. Moreover, its Tensor G5 is capable of running more LLM and AI tasks on-device, which means faster performance and better privacy.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro Fold