Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G vs Google Pixel Fold: The Ultimate Foldable Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Pixel Fold offers a more refined design and Google's signature software experience, while the Z Fold2 boasts a more immersive main display and a slightly more mature foldable ecosystem. Ultimately, the Pixel Fold wins for overall usability and software, but the Z Fold2 remains a compelling choice for those prioritizing screen real estate.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G | Google Pixel Fold |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - SM-F916B | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-F916B | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 77, 78 Sub6 - SM-F916B | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 - SM-F916U1 | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2023, May 10 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, September 18 | Available. Released 2023, June 27 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus) (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mmFolded: 159.2 x 68 x 13.8-16.8 mm | Unfolded: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mmFolded: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 282 g (9.95 oz) | 283 g (9.98 oz) |
| - | IPX8 water resistant | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1768 x 2208 pixels (~373 ppi density) | 1840 x 2208 pixels (~378 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.6 inches, 180.8 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 7.6 inches, 183.3 cm2 (~82.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Foldable OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1450 nits (peak) |
| Cover display: Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 6.23 inches, 816 x 2260 pixels, 25:9 ratio | Cover display: OLED, 120Hz, HDR, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 5.8 inches, 1080 x 2092 pixels, 17.4:9 ratio, 408 ppi 1200 nits (HBM), 1550 nits (peak) | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.09 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) | Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Mali-G710 MP7 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1.1 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm | 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10.8 MP, f/3.1, 112mm (telephoto), 1/3.1", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 10.8 MP, f/2.2, 121˚, (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.25µm |
| Video | 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm Cover camera: 9.5 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide), 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired 11W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired, PD3.0 Wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4821 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Thom Browne Edition, Aston Martin Racing Edition | Porcelain, Obsidian |
| Models | SM-F916B, SM-F916U, SM-F916U1, SM-F916N, SM-F9160, SM-F916W, SCG05 | G9FPL |
| Price | About 960 EUR | € 670.87 / $ 389.26 / £ 899.99 |
| SAR EU | 0.86 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | - |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 564907 (v8) GeekBench: 12607 (v4.4), 2715 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
- Larger, more immersive main display
- Mature foldable ecosystem
- Excellent battery life (81h endurance)
- Versatile camera system
- Cramped cover display
- Image processing not as refined as Pixel Fold
- Older chipset
Google Pixel Fold
- More compact and pocketable design
- Excellent camera performance (Google's computational photography)
- Clean Android experience
- Improved cover display usability
- Google Tensor G2 for AI tasks
- Potentially shorter battery life (unconfirmed)
- Chipset may not benchmark as high
Display Comparison
The Z Fold2 features a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering vibrant colors and smooth scrolling. The Pixel Fold has a 7.6-inch OLED display, also with a 120Hz refresh rate, but its cover display is arguably more usable. The Z Fold2's cover display feels cramped in comparison. Brightness is comparable, with the Z Fold2 measuring 714 nits. The Pixel Fold's display is slightly more protected.
Camera Comparison
The Z Fold2 has a versatile triple-camera system, but image processing isn't as refined as the Pixel Fold. The Pixel Fold excels in computational photography, delivering consistently excellent image quality, especially in challenging lighting conditions. Google's image processing algorithms are a significant advantage. Both offer good video recording capabilities.
Performance
The Z Fold2 utilizes the Snapdragon 865+ chipset, a powerful processor that handles demanding tasks with ease. The Pixel Fold is powered by the Google Tensor G2, which prioritizes AI and machine learning tasks. While the Tensor G2 might not benchmark as high as the 865+, it offers a smoother, more responsive experience in everyday use, particularly with Google's software features. The Tensor G2's efficiency is also notable.
Battery Life
The Z Fold2 has an endurance rating of 81h, suggesting excellent battery life. The Pixel Fold's battery life is expected to be good, but specific endurance ratings are not yet available. The Z Fold2's larger battery capacity contributes to its longevity. Both support fast charging, though the Pixel Fold utilizes PD3.0.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G? Users who prioritize a larger, more immersive main display for multitasking and media consumption. Who should buy the Google Pixel Fold? Users who value a more compact and pocketable design, Google's clean Android experience, and excellent camera performance.