Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold preview: specs, release date and everything we know
What to expect from the former Pixel Fold
There’s sure to be a Google device or two on anyone’s list of upcoming phones worth getting excited about. For us, it’s the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold – previously rumoured as the Pixel Fold 2. The successor to the firm’s first attempt at a foldable phone is less than a month away from an official reveal, and we know more about it than ever.
Google confirmed the name change to stem the inevitable tide of leaks and early info, which have painted a vivid picture of what to expect from the phone. A fresh design, AI focus, and day-and-date launch with the rest of the Pixel 9 range is guaranteed. But what else can you expect? Here we’ve also looked back at our Pixel Fold review and picked out the areas we hope Google will improve on for the sequel. Read on for everything expected from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold release date
With only one Pixel Fold generation to date, there wasn’t enough info to spot any patterns when it came to announcements, release dates or pricing. The first-gen Fold was revealed at Google’s I/O dev conference in May 2023, and went on sale a month later. The 2024 I/O conference came and went on May 14 2024, with no mention of a Fold sequel – but equally Google traditionally focuses on software at I/O, so an omission didn’t come as a huge shock.
Everything changed in July, when Google confirmed August the 13th would see the Pixel 9 Pro Fold officially revealed alongside the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. The in-person event is being held in Mountain View, and will likely see Android 15 released to the public alongside the new handsets.
This ties in with earlier rumours from Android Authority, who reported that the new Pixel Fold would skip Tensor G3 (the chipset found in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro) and launch simultaneously with the Pixel 9 Duo under a new name.
Pricing is still something of an unknown. The first Pixel Fold cost $1799/£1749 at launch, which made it a direct rival to the $1800/£1750 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5. Book-style folding rivals from Honor, Oppo, Tecno and Huawei didn’t really shift the needle, so there was little need to lower the price. That changed with the OnePlus Open, which is still Stuff’s favourite foldable at a more wallet-friendly $1699/£1599 – though Samsung didn’t blink, setting the Galaxy Z Fold6 at $1800/£1799. We’re still hoping Google will bring the price down a little.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold hardware & design rumours
In mid-July Google showed off the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s evolutionary design, in a series of social media and YouTube teasers, along with a holding page on its web store. The obvious changes are a redesigned hinge (which will hopefully be able to open completely flat), much skinnier bezels for the inner display, and a rectangular camera island instead of the phone-spanning bar seen on the Pixel Fold.
The camera shelf has been ditched for a smaller square island, with what appears to be three lenses along with a flash and microphone. It’s unclear if the accompanying sensor is actually a temperature laser like the Pixel 8 Pro, or a time-of-flight sensor for laser autofocus.
We’ve yet to see the phone from all angles, but the pics released so far match up with what Android Authority claims was a prototype handset uncovered back in February 2024. It showed a narrower cover screen more closely matching the OnePlus Open, and dramatically rounded corners. The frame is reportedly made from aluminium. Inside, the folding main screen is apparently squarer than before, with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. That’s a big change from the first-gen Fold, which stealthed its webcam in the outer bezel.
Onleaks and Smartprix then shared renders that matched the leak, giving a better idea how the rounded corners will work on the inner display.
The leak was apparently an Engineering Validation Test (EVT) device, meaning there was plenty of time for Google to change design and hardware elements before launch. Based on the official images, the firm doesn’t seem to have tweaked it at all.
Display specialist Ross Young previously indicated the Pixel Fold would get a larger screen.
The second-gen Fold was originally expected to launch with a Tensor G3 chipset, twelve months after the first Pixel Fold, but holding it over until the Pixel 9 means it’ll use the newer Tensor G4 instead. It was unlikely Google would swap to Snapdragon power, despite Qualcomm making some big AI advances for its latest-gen silicon. According to a marketing material leak from Onleaks and 91 Mobiles, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will pair that chip with 16GB of RAM.
Google usually makes photography one of the key reasons to buy any Pixel device, but rarely makes big hardware changes between generations. The marketing leak mentioned above suggest that’s the case here, with the same 48MP main snapper and 10.8MP telephoto zoom as the Pixel Fold. The ultrawide reportedly takes a step down, to 10.5MP from 10.8MP, but the selfie camera will be bumped from 8MP to 10MP.
Other upgrades, such as a larger capacity battery, will likely boil down to how much larger Google makes the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s screens; there’s only so much room inside the device, after all.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold feature wish list
As much as we liked the Pixel Fold, it fell short of top marks in our review. The four-star phone has room for improvement, then – something that Google will want to address for the sequel, at a time the foldable competition has never been tougher. Here’s what we think a Pixel 9 Pro Fold could change to be better than its predecessor:
More balanced battery life
One of our biggest criticisms of the Pixel Fold was its mediocre battery life. An update to Android 14 did help it last a little longer between top-ups, but it still fell far short of folding rivals. The 4800mAh battery seemed plenty big enough, so the blame may be down to the Tensor G2 processor. The new Tensor G3 seen in the Pixel 8 Pro is more efficient, so a G4 chip should be even better still – but we can’t help but see what Qualcomm is doing with its flagship Snapdragon silicon and wish Google would catch up. Faster charging would be a welcome addition, too; 30W feels pretty pedestrian when rivals are pushing north of 65W or more.
Camera parity
The Pixel Fold took a pretty tasty photo, but then the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro arrived and showed what the firm was really capable of. When a smartphone costs $1700, you expect the very best, and that just wasn’t the case here. Given the Fold came out months before the Pixel 8 Pro, and we expect that pattern to repeat next year, it will be difficult to address that balance. We seriously doubt the 9 Pro Fold’s launch would get pushed back to coincide with the next-gen Pixel 9. But it would still be nice to think you’re not compromising on cameras by buying a foldable over the more mainstream model.
Streamlined software
When the Pixel Fold launched, only Samsung had done more in terms of optimising Android for larger screens. Google’s take on the app launcher and multi-window was pretty slick, and it put real effort into updating its apps with two-column layouts. Only being able to open two apps at once with a vertical split felt limiting, when Samsung has been offering more apps, in different orientations, and floating window support for a while now. The OnePlus Open does fantastic things with two smaller windows and one larger one using gesture navigation, too. Anything Google can do to catch up on this front would be much appreciated.
AI assistance
The Google Pixel 8 series went big on neural processing and machine learning. On-device AI generated wallpapers were just the start, with automatic voice recorder transcription, Best Take face replacements and Magic Audio Eraser background sound removal also included. We’d love to see the Pixel 9 Pro Fold follow suit, and perhaps debut a few more features of its own. These could even roll out to the Pixel 8 series afterwards, so owners didn’t feel left out.
First-gen Pixel Fold owners missed out on Circle to Search, which was added to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in January 2024, and landed on the Pixel 7 generation in March. For a $1799/£1749 device to suddenly be a second class citizen was rather frustrating, so we’re hoping Google can avoid that divide for the sequel. Based on the official teasers, that looks to be the case.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
