The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold are two of the most expensive foldable you can buy in 2023. Which one is the best? We found out.
This story is part of our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 coverage In the foldable smartphone arena, there’s little doubt that Samsung has become the heavyweight champion. After all, it’s had nearly four years to refine the experience, and it hasn’t been shy about doing so in public. Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 proved that Samsung’s design was ready for prime time.
Similarly, even though the Pixel Fold is Google’s first attempt at a foldable smartphone, the design language of the Google Pixel 7 is readily apparent here. Aesthetically, it feels like what you’d get if you stacked two Pixel phones together, right down to the glass back and eerily similar camera bump.
How much this matters is an open question, but if you like watching videos without unfolding the phone, there’s little doubt that the Pixel Fold will provide a nicer presentation. The downside is that this width makes it feel chunkier in the hand since you’re dealing with a front profile that’s about the same size as a Pixel 7 Pro at nearly twice the thickness.
Finally, no discussion of foldable smartphone design would be complete without a word on the hinges. Google impressed us with the ability of the Pixel Fold to actually close flat with no gaps, a feat in hinge design that has seemingly eluded Samsung — until now, that is. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 now includes what the company is calling its new “Flex Hinge” design that allows its foldable to do likewise.
Nevertheless, the Pixel Fold can deliver a solid 24 hours of battery life as long as you’re not pushing it too hard with demanding tasks like gaming, but even power users should be able to end the day with around a quarter of a tank. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes out slightly ahead in battery life, with our tests showing about 35% to 50% after a day of heavier use, and also offers double the wireless charging speeds — 15 watts versus 7.5 watts on the Pixel Fold.
Ironically, Samsung beats Google in its Android update promises, with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 slated to get four years of updates that will eventually take it to Android 17 in 2027. Meanwhile, the Pixel Fold will see the end of its updates in 2026 with Android 16. That may not be a bad thing, considering we’d expect the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to remain relevant and capable of powering new Android versions for longer.
The Pixel Fold has a few unique tricks up its sleeve, including the same advanced machine learning-powered photographic tools found on Google’s Pixel 7 phones. However, its most interesting foldable tricks aren’t coming until Android 14 arrives later this year. This includes a promised Dual Screen Interpreter feature that will translate live conversations on the inner and outer screens so two people can interact more easily in different languages.
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