19 hours ago ·

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People want big honkin' screens, but still want to be able to carry their phones around in a pocket. To meet those contradictory consumer demands, phone makers have moved toward making foldable phones. With this week's launch of Google's brand new Pixel Fold, Apple is now the odd man out with no comparable product.

With a 5.8-inch screen, over 24 hours of battery life and 12GB of RAM, the Pixel Fold is perfect for all-day use. However, the Tensor G2 processor can get a bit warm, and doesn't offer the high-end performance that we'd hope to see in a phone that's darn-near two grand. It's fine, but we were hoping for more.

While this folding phone is technically available this week, you're probably going to have a hard time getting one from Google until July or August. If you didn't pre-order weeks ago, your best bet is probably to call up your local phone dealer and see if they have any in stock.

Curious about the real-world experience of using Google's shiny new device? Let's explore what critics think about their time with the Pixel Fold.

The display and form factor are unique

Instead of something like Samsung's skinnier baton-like form, Google chose a wider 17.4:9 aspect ratio for the Pixel Fold's 2,092 x 1,080 exterior display, resulting in a device shaped more like a passport. The benefit is you don't need to switch to the bigger interior screen as often. And while this might seem like a minor tweak, it makes a huge difference.

[Engadget]

The Fold has a relatively short and wide 5.8-inch front OLED screen. It features a 17.4:9 aspect ratio, a resolution of 2,092 by 1,080 pixels (for a density of 408ppi), and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The bezels seem mostly normal, but the left side has a bit extra to accommodate the hinge. The inner OLED screen is a massive 7.6 inches in a more squarish 6:5 aspect ratio. It has a resolution of 2,208 by 1,840 pixels (for a density of 380ppi) and the same 120Hz refresh rate. The inner display has thicker bezels on the top and bottom to allow the hinge to work. This has the added benefit of preventing you from accidentally hitting the screen.

[PCMag]

The multitasking is useful, but imperfect

There were times when split-screen mode came in handy. I had to reset a password to one of my app accounts, and I loved being able to quickly pull up Gmail for my login code without having to jump between apps. It's also nice being able to keep an eye on Slack while I'm doing something else on my phone, like listening to Spotify, browsing email or scrolling through social media.

But the Pixel Fold is missing an important feature that Samsung offers: the ability to pin apps together so that you can launch them in split-screen mode in one tap. The Pixel Fold will keep apps paired while they're open, but there's no way to keep it that way for future use.

[CNET]

While Samsung will let you run up to four apps at once in custom window sizes, Google only officially supports two apps in split screen. On the Galaxy Z Fold 4, I can open multiple apps and pop-up windows to cross-reference my credit card activity, Starbucks card history, and my calendar to file an expense report in Concur all on the same screen. Not so on the Pixel Fold.

[The Verge]

That price tag is brutal

Though the Pixel Fold's high price will make it inaccessible to most people, it was an exciting glimpse into the next step for smartphones. Over the last five years, as phone screens got bigger, we have voted with our wallets and shown that we prefer larger screens, so long as they come on devices easy to carry everywhere. The Pixel Fold delivers that.

[New York Times]

I just can't get over how much I disliked looking at the Pixel Fold's interior display, which is, you know, a problem when it's the entire draw of this device. Your mileage may vary on some of my complaints — I have no doubt plenty of shoppers are less picky than I am when it comes to reflectiveness, or just how the screen feels underneath your finger. But for $1,800, I would at least expect Google to match what its rivals in this space are capable of, and I'm just not seeing that here.

[Android Police]

TL;DR

While not perfect, it's a promising first step for Google's foldable journey.

[Digital Trends]

Multitasking is especially nice on devices like these, too; you can run two apps side by side on that bigger screen, making it easier to refer to documents while whipping up an email.

[Washington Post]

[Image: Google]