Editor’s Desk
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Google is predicted to launch the Pixel 10 Professional Fold in just a few weeks at its upcoming Made By Google occasion, and there appears to be much more driving on the success of this mannequin. Following Samsung’s spectacular Galaxy Z Fold 7, it looks like many individuals need the Pixel 10 Professional Fold to match its wow issue of “look how skinny I’m!” Nevertheless, I actually don’t suppose Google wants to fret about (or ought to even be eager about) Samsung with regards to its personal foldables.
Lately, my focus has been totally on smaller flip cellphone foldables, such because the Motorola Razr and Galaxy Z Flip. Nevertheless, my time with the Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold confirmed me a complete new world and gave me an appreciation for larger-screened foldable telephones. It’s slim, trendy, performs properly, and is total a enjoyable system to make use of for anybody who prefers a lot of these foldables.
The Pixel 10 Professional Fold isn’t more likely to be a lot completely different from its predecessor so far as design goes, and following my expertise with the 9 Professional Fold, that is completely advantageous, even when the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is arguably the extra thrilling cellphone. Here is why I do not suppose Google has to fret about Samsung.
This battle for thinnest foldable is form of foolish
Let me simply begin by saying that this battle for who has the thinnest foldable cellphone is form of ridiculous. Samsung and Honor have been battling it out to the purpose the place it mainly comes all the way down to measuring approach. In the meantime, each the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Honor Magic V5 are as skinny or thinner than some high-end flagship smartphones.
The distinction in thickness between these two telephones appears minuscule, particularly with their giant digicam housings, and it makes Honor look just a little ridiculous that it’s preventing so arduous to retain its crown.
Then there’s the Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold. It could not maintain the crown for thinnest foldable in 2025, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly skinny. In truth, Google touted it because the “thinnest foldable obtainable,” with the caveat that it was solely referring to telephones in America. That’s nothing to sneeze at and nonetheless a powerful feat for a second-generation foldable.
The Pixel 10 Professional Fold is rumored to have a virtually equivalent design, save for some adjustments in thickness and weight, and even some new shade choices. Based on leaks, the foldable will measure roughly 5.2mm thick when unfolded, in comparison with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold’s 5.1mm. That’s a distinction of .1mm when unfolded (roughly .3mm when folded), which, for a cellphone as giant as this, appears hardly price crying over.
If the Pixel 10 Professional Fold dimensions are to be believed, the cellphone can be roughly 2mm thicker than the Z Fold 7, however nonetheless about 2mm thinner than the outgoing Galaxy Z Fold 6. That also looks like a win to me, particularly when you think about that Samsung’s cellphone nonetheless has a smaller battery than the Pixel 9 Professional Fold or its closest rival, the Honor Magic V5 with its huge 5,820mAh battery.
To not point out the whole lot else that Google could also be packing into this cellphone.
The upgrades that matter
We’re simply weeks away from the Pixel 10 Professional Fold launch, so there are many leaks and rumors to go by, lots of which appear fairly credible. Thus, we’ve a fairly good concept of what we will anticipate from Google’s subsequent foldable, which can seem visually just like its predecessor. It might not be a major improve, however the largest adjustments are anticipated to occur internally, and greater than justify any potential enhance in thickness when in comparison with the 9 Professional Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The primary of these adjustments is a rumored enhance in battery capability. The Pixel 9 Professional Fold already has a bigger battery than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at 4,650mAh (versus 4,400mAh), nevertheless it’s rumored that the Pixel 10 Professional Fold will squeeze in a 5,015mAh battery. That’s a distinction of almost 600mAh in comparison with Samsung’s foldable, and I’m frankly okay with a barely thicker cellphone if it means I can get extra battery life.
I wasn’t a fan of Samsung giving the Galaxy S25 Edge a smaller battery than the bottom Galaxy S25 to realize its stage of thinness. To me, shaving off just a few millimeters doesn’t imply something if you need to sacrifice a bigger battery, notably in a day and age when smartphones are doing a lot extra and demand extra energy. Positive, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold most likely gained’t win any thinness competitions, however the trade-off could also be properly price it.
We’ve additionally seen leaks indicating that the Pixel 10 sequence would be the first Android flagship telephones to assist built-in Qi2 magnetic charging. We’ve seen a picture of what seems to be a base Pixel 10 with a “Pixelsnap” accent, indicating {that a} separate case might not be essential. Whereas we haven’t seen this on the Pixel 10 Professional Fold, we will most likely assume that this may even be included on the foldable, as it might be a fairly odd omission.
Including Qi2 magnets to a cellphone possible requires fairly a little bit of inside remodeling, so a little bit of added thickness is probably going one trade-off to including a extra handy charging technique. One other profit to that is that it could enhance wi-fi charging speeds from 8W on the 9 Professional Fold to a extra respectable 15W.
Lastly, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold is rumored to be the first foldable with an IP68 water and dirt resistance score. This might be the results of an improved hinge, making it extra sturdy than the competitors. I don’t find out about you, however a extra sturdy foldable sounds fairly good to me.
Thinner vs. cheaper
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is little question a powerful cellphone, however all these upgrades come at a worth. The Fold obtained its first worth enhance in years, bringing the value again as much as $2,000. Granted, $1,799 was already a fairly penny to pay for a cellphone, and $2,000 is greater than I pay for hire in Seattle, WA. Positive, you’ll be able to chalk it as much as “it’s only a $200 distinction,” however consider what you can get for that $200, corresponding to a Galaxy Z Fold 7 case, display screen protector, and/or another accent.
In the meantime, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold is rumored to launch on the identical $1,799 price ticket as its predecessor. With that, you’ll possible get a extra succesful processor, sooner and extra handy charging, a bigger battery, and extra. All of that in a cellphone that can most likely be comparatively skinny and probably extra sturdy.
If Google retains the $1,799 worth, then it’s already gained in my eyes. The value of foldables is a significant barrier for a lot of shoppers, and rising the value doesn’t seem to be one of the best ways to draw extra clients in the direction of shopping for their first foldables. Positive, preorders of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 are up, which is a powerful feat, however I think about lots of these will not be first-time foldable house owners, and also you’d be hard-pressed to persuade me to pay that a lot for a cellphone.
Sure $1,799 remains to be some huge cash, nevertheless it’s rather more palatable once you’re nonetheless getting an excellent cellphone that does just about the whole lot you want it to do. And when the choices for foldable telephones in the US are nonetheless fairly restricted, shoppers should resolve between the cheaper cellphone and the thinner one. I do know which one I would like.
I’m excited for the Pixel 10 Professional Fold
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 could also be costly, nevertheless it lastly makes Samsung’s foldables thrilling once more. As for Google, I imagine that the Pixel 9 Professional Fold was its Galaxy Z Fold 7 second, because it was a significant departure from the authentic Pixel Fold and confirmed that Google is critical concerning the foldable house. It’s fairly all proper if the corporate takes a yr to refine what’s already an ideal cellphone.
This can be Samsung’s yr to take the foldable highlight, however that doesn’t imply the Pixel 10 Professional Fold gained’t be an thrilling cellphone in its personal proper.
