Google came back onto the foldable scene with splash in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but a couple of years later, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is launching in a totally different market. There are several welcome improvements on this device that make it a foldable I actually want to carry, but I think it’s going to be relegated to being the fourth-best foldable mass markets can buy – but that’s really a good thing for the customer.
Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the third evolution of a design that, as mentioned, put Google back on the map for foldables after a tumultuous first attempt back in 2023. While the original Pixel Fold was certainly more impressive than I think anyone expected, it didn’t age all that well. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was a much bigger deal, arriving into a market that Samsung was stalling out in and that had been deprived of basically any other options. It was stellar. Pixel 10 Pro Fold, as a minor evolution, was considerably less exciting thanks to a thicker design when, just weeks earlier, Samsung had cracked the code on foldable brilliance.
The foldable market has never shined brighter than it has today. There are countless incredible options all over the globe and, even the usually-deprived US, there are actually some great foldables. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 series checks every single box, while Motorola Razr Fold delivers a top-tier experience as well.
Pixel 11 Pro Fold was always going to face an uphill battle, and I think it certainly puts up a fight.
As mentioned in our initial hands-on earlier this week, Google’s latest delivers the typical year-over-year improvements such as a new Tensor G6 chip and new colors, but it’s no major overhaul. The design is mostly unchanged outside of a new camera island, yet there’s a lot hiding in that design.
Google has trimmed down the thickness to 10.1mm when folded. Not nearly as thin as Samsung, Oppo, or others, but good enough in my opinion. As a direct comparison, that’s the same thickness Motorola quotes on Razr Fold, so that’s a good place to start the side-by-sides.
Motorola’s design looks and feels thinner than Google’s, but it’s splitting hairs in terms of how it feels in the hand. Pixel 11 Pro Fold is also marginally lighter than the Razr and, again, it feels nice. I think I like the overall fit and finish – not to mention Motorola’s massive battery and solid camera hardware – on the Razr Fold more, but Google’s software and bold durability claims have me excited to give this a shot.
The more important comparison is to Samsung’s foldables. I didn’t have a Fold 8 or Ultra on hand during my initial Pixel 11 Pro Fold hands-on time, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 fits into that slot nicely. And the Pixel doesn’t feel archaic anymore, despite being objectively behind.
Whereas putting Samsung’s foldable next to Google’s this time last year was bordering on laughable, that ~1mm change on Google’s part really does make a big difference. It’s not as thin, obviously, but these no longer feel like two totally separate generations of foldable hardware. I overall still prefer the fit and finish Samsung has – there’s this ineffable charm to the company’s otherwise stubborn and stale design language – but Google isn’t very far off the mark.
Having used the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, both devices clearly outclass Google’s hardware, while also beating the Pixel in terms of battery capacity.
Objectively, in the US, I think the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is destined to be fourth-best. It simply doesn’t match the competition in a lot of key areas, but it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds on paper. I think there are still ample reasons to opt for Google’s device – software, Qi2, and those bold durability claims chief among them. But what really excites me as a foldable fan is that we’re at a place like this now. Go back literally two years and the foldable market is a mess in the US, and suddenly we’ve got four legitimately good options. Good timing, I guess, with Apple incoming.
Pixel 11 Pro Fold is available for pre-order at $1,899 – are you considering one?
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