It had been almost three years since I bought a phone (the Pixel 6 Pro) and I was itching to get a new phone. I decided to get the Pixel 9 Pro Fold! How has this device worked for me and why did I choose it? Read on for the answers!
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Why I bought the Pixel 9 Pro Fold
I generally get a Google or OnePlus phone, because in the past they have been solid value picks with uncluttered user interfaces. Google has upped the ante on their software support period (7 years!) and in features (AI – Gemini) that are only for the Pixels, so I have favored Pixels the last few years.
I have also been very interested in foldable phones over the last few years, but not enough to purchase one. What intrigued me was that they were a tablet and phone all in one which I thought might be very useful for watching videos and usability. But all the foldables seemed too heavy or not quite the right form factor.
However, the OnePlus Open and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 are very intriguing. They seem to be lighter, have the right form factor, and they looked downright stylish. Plus, I have been doing a lot more reading of ebooks and ecomics and my old eyes are finding those almost impossible to read on a regular phone. When the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was announced and got such positive feedback from those who got to try it, I decided to pull the trigger.
One of the mental hurdles I had to get over was the price. It was way more than I had ever paid for a phone. But, Google was offering a $350 store credit and $450 for the trade-in of my Pixel Pro 6. That took a lot of the sting out of the hefty price.
First impressions of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold arrived in beautiful flat packaging. I’m used to receiving my regular phones in a box with a bit more height. This thin packaging stood out, probably to make a point of the phone being a foldable
Like many phones these days, it only came with a USB-C to USB-C cable and the SIM card ejector. No power brick to be found, but we all have a million of those by now, right?
The device itself felt hefty and premium. The opening and closing mechanism of the hinge is sturdy; you have to apply a little force to open and close the device. One downside of the device is that it is slippery. You’ll notice in my pictures that I already put a case on it to keep it from being slippery (more on case issues later in this article). I was afraid of dropping it.
Both screens were bright and easy to view. The images and videos looked great!
Everyday usage
My fears of the phone being hard to use in folded form were put to rest quickly. I found the phone easy to use with one hand like a regular phone. It is, of course, a little thicker, but with my average-sized hands, I didn’t have any problems with it.
The open mode lets me use it just like I would with a tablet with two hands. It’s great for reading and looking at websites and apps with my old tired eyes.
I’ve played with a few of the Gemini features, and they are as advertised. These features have been well covered and I won’t go into detail about them here. I have enjoyed some of the picture manipulation and image generation features. I will say it is hard to avoid using Gemini on these phones if you have it enabled!
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Things you should know about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold that you might not be aware of
There are a couple of issues with this foldable that aren’t widely reported. These are by no means deal-breakers for me, but they were disappointing. I’m sure they’ll be remedied over time.
Wireless charging stands
These phones are incompatible with many, if not most wireless charging stands without modifying them. This is because Google put the charging coils a little lower in this phone than they are in most phones. It even has compatibility problems with the Google Pixel Stand 2.
What I’ve found is that some wireless charging stands will start to work and then stop because the connection isn’t good enough, and some just don’t work at all. You can get some of them to work with the phone in landscape mode. Also frustrating is that many wireless charging stands are advertising compatibility with Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but still suffer from the issue.
I decided to just modify my existing charging stands to push the Pixel 9 Pro Fold up higher so they will charge properly. I just cut a piece of furniture floor protection pad and put it in the stand. Not the most elegant solution but it works. If you have access to a 3D printer, you can do a lot better.
Getting a proper case
The second problem is the state of cases. A lot of the cases initially available were based on the specs of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and not the actual device. So many of them don’t fit well. Some of them require adhesive to work right. Most of the Magsafe cases improperly place the magnet because the charging coils are lower than standard. I’m sure this will be rectified in the future, but for now, a lot of the cases have a crappy fit.
The OEM case fits well, but by most reports, it is slippery, which defeats the purpose for me. I found this Vego case to fit well, have decent grip, and the integrated screen protector works well. I’m not sure how much protection it provides, and it doesn’t protect the hinge. But it provides screen and camera protection. It should hold me over until I find the perfect case.
If you are looking for a thin MagSafe case that actually works and puts the magnets in the right spot, check out this Thinborne case. They have made sure their design works properly. It is a little pricey though! If it drops in price, I might consider it.
Final verdict
I’ll admit, I felt like I was taking a risk getting this phone. Lately, I’ve been keeping my phone for about three years, so this is a commitment. However, I’m happy with the phone. I haven’t sacrificed anything while gaining a much bigger screen when I need it. The camera is better than my last phone, the AI features are fun, and the phone feels premium. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was the right call for me.
Do you have the Pixel 9 Pro Fold? Or another foldable? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter/X.
