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The recently unveiled Pixel Fold is one of the most anticipatedsmartphonesof all time. Rumors about it circulated for years, but Google never confirmed that the device was in the making. Then, on May 10, 2023, the tech giant officially presented its first-ever foldable phone at the Google I/O event.
Despite how anticipated its foldable phone has been, the truth is that Google is quite late to the party. How does its device stand against competitors?
Should you consider a foldable phone or save some cash and get a flip one? Check out this head-to-head between Google s Pixel Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 to decide.
Google s Pixel Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4: Side-by-Side Comparison
Pixel Fold | Galaxy Z Flip4 | |
---|---|---|
Release year | 2023 | 2022 |
Mobile network | 5G | 5G |
Cover display size | 5.8 | 1.9 |
Inner display size | 7.6 | 6.7 |
Display type | OLED | Super AMOLED |
Chipset | Tensor G2 | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
RAM | 12GB | 8GB |
Internal storage | 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Rear cameras | 48MP, 10.8MP, 10.8MP | 12MP, 12MP |
Front camera | 9.5MP | |
Inner camera | 8MP | 10MP |
Software | Android 14 | Android 12 |
Battery capacity | 4,821mAh | 3,700mAh |
Starting price | $1,799 | $999.99 |
Google s Pixel Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4: What s the Difference?
In a world where smartphones are launched each year only to be forgotten when a new device emerges, Google managed to make people curious about its first-ever foldable device. According to ArsTechnica, rumors about the Pixel Fold have been around since 2019, but Google never confirmed or denied its existence.
Until May 2023, that is, when thetech giantintroduced its new brainchild at the Google I/O conference in Mountain View, California. The new foldable phone is available for pre-order and is expected to reach stores in the second half of June.
Meanwhile, Samsung s Galaxy Z Flip4 has been around since August 2022. An upgrade to the Z Flip3 and an alternative to the Fold4, this compact device comes with Samsung s reliability and is much more affordable than the new player. Can it compete with the new arrival?
Design
The most crucial difference between Google sPixel Foldand the Galaxy Z Flip4 is the type of device. The former is a foldable phone. It has a standard smartphone size when folded and turns into a mini-tablet with double the screen when unfolded.
The latter is a flip phone. When closed, it is a compact device that can easily slip into a tiny pocket. It doesn t have a real screen on the cover, and it turns into a standard-size phone when unfolded. This design difference brings advantages and limitations in both cases.
As far as the Pixel Fold is concerned, the foldable design makes it a perfect choice fortech-savvyindividuals and content creators. This smartphone delivers plenty of space and split-screen functionality for remote working.
- Google Tensor G2 chip
- Advanced image processing
- Features Fingerprint Unlock and Face Unlock
- Made with polished aluminum and matte glass
- Comes with a telephoto and ultrawide lens
When you re on the go, the 5.8-inch cover display makes it easy to access all of your phone s functions without unfolding it. However, the phone is rather large and might fit only tightly in some pockets.
Samsung GalaxyZ Flip4folds compactly when closed. It can fit in all pockets and is a nice choice for posh folks who want to have a fancy phone in their purse.
However, the tiny display on the cover doesn t allow you to access all phone functions. Instead, it acts more like the display of a smartwatch, allowing you to read notifications or make and answer calls.
You ll have to flip the phone open to access most apps. On the bright side, the full-size display is larger than Pixel Fold s cover display, offering 6.7 inches.
Chipset
As far as design is concerned, there is a draw between the Pixel Fold and the Z Flip4 it s all a matter of preference, after all. But when it comes to chipsets, the latter is superior. Equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1,SamsungGalaxy Z Flip4 is superior to Tensor G2 in every way except for battery life.
Despite being older than Tensor G2, the Snapdragon delivers a larger L3 cache size and performs better in floating-point computations. It also has a higher clock speed and a superior instruction set architecture.
If you re not big on tech, this basically means that it performs better overall, regardless of the task at hand. The Z Flip4 is an excellent choice for gaming, content editing, and more.
Announced 10 months later, Google sTensor G2is a promising chipset, but its only advantage over Z Flip4 s CPU is the efficiency of battery consumption. Nevertheless, the Pixel Fold is still a capable phone that delivers multi-tasking efficiency and a fluid user experience.
Internal Storage
Memory expandability is a thing of the past, as clearly shown by both Google and Samsung. Neither one of the two smartphones has expandable memory, so you ll have to settle for whatever s available. In this aspect, too, the Z Filp4 has the upper hand.
Samsung offers this phone in three sizes, with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of internal storage. All variants feature 8GB of RAM, and the latter is only available as unlocked from Samsung.
Google s Pixel Fold comes in 256GB and 512GB sizes, both with 12GB of RAM. Considering the staggering price difference between the two handsets, the Z Flip4 might be your best bet if you want to save a buck.
Camera Setup
If the Pixel Fold didn t have much for itself in terms of chipset, the tables turn when it comes to the camera setup. Even though Samsung brags about the camera arrays it fits on its phones, the one on the Z Flip4 is quite disappointing.
You can expect a dual main camera array. Both are 12MP cameras that can capture images in 8K resolution, but the photo and video recording quality can t compete with the Pixel Fold s three-camera array and 48MP of the main camera.
- 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED
- 10x Digital Zoom
- 3,700mAh battery
- 10MP front camera
- Android 12 OS