I’ve had the Pixel Fold for about a week now and have daily driven the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, 3, and 4 and flip 3 over the past few years. I have some pretty decent experience with American available foldables since they started really popping off.
I just wanted a place for people to ask questions and I can give some quick impressions about what I like and dislike about the new Pixel Fold compared to the Samsung foldables I had.
Pixel Fold Pros:
- Much more usable front screen
- Much
smoother
. Definitely have not run into as many glitches or hiccups or stutters as any of the folds that I used - Software in general is much more cohesive and better designed
- Pixel exclusive software features
- Better camera in almost every category
- Folds flat and thinner
- Less noticeable crease
Pixel fold cons:
- Charges slower even using same charger
- Battery life is good but could be better. Hopefully improved with software updates
- Software is less customizable. bottom gesture bar cannot be hidden or have any app be in split screen the way you want it
- Screens have the same contrast I think, but the galaxies are noticeably brighter
- Pretty picky with the charging support and wireless chargers that can enable quick charging
- Bezels on the inside and a little bit of the outside are more noticeable, but that’s really not a bother
I’ll update this list more when I think about it, but feel free to ask any questions you have below!
I had a Flip 3, and while I loved the hardware, I strongly dislike One UI. I know it’s gotten a lot better in recent years, but it just isn’t as intuitive as Pixel OS (Does it have an official name? I know it’s not stock AOSP.)
But I’m in absolute love with my Fold. I agree with most of your cons, but they’re really not big deals for me.
How would you compare the battery to the Galaxy Fold 4? Also heard reports of it overheating, have you experienced that?
It’s still a little early to tell but it’s definitely average. Not amazing by any means. It’s pretty similar to the fold I think if not a bit worse.
As far as overheating, I had one instance with it when I was in the car, using wireless Android Auto, while charging and in direct sunlight and the display got less bright and a message came up that it was hot. A couple seconds under the AC vent and it was fine.
What do you expect to do by the fall? Will you stick with the pixel, get a fold 5, oneplus fold?
More of a general foldable question, but is the weight and thickness over a traditional phone a big deal?
It’s funny cuz I thought it would be much heavier and much thicker than a traditional phone too. But at least with the pixel folds hinge design, it folds pretty flat. Its not that much thicker than a regular phone.
The same goes for the weight. It’s not like double the weight of a normal phone. Maybe it’s like 20 25% heavier but it’s not super noticeable like you’re holding a brick or something. Over the past couple years I would definitely say you get used to it much quicker than you think and then it just becomes like a normal phone
Not about any specific device, but why a foldable? Is it really better? I just assumed all foldables would die out because it seems like such a gimmick. I’m surprised to hear they’re still a thing