Editor’s Desk
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Google is predicted to launch the Pixel 10 Professional Fold in a number of weeks at its upcoming Made By Google occasion, and there appears to be much more using 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 occupied with) Samsung relating to its personal foldables.
As of late, 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 nicely, and is total a enjoyable system to make use of for anybody who prefers all these foldables.
The Pixel 10 Professional Fold is just not 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 tremendous, even when the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is arguably the extra thrilling cellphone. This 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 right down to measuring method. 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 massive digital camera housings, and it makes Honor look slightly 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, but it surely’s nonetheless fairly skinny. Actually, Google touted it because the “thinnest foldable accessible,” with the caveat that it was solely referring to telephones in America. That’s nothing to sneeze at and nonetheless a formidable feat for a second-generation foldable.
The Pixel 10 Professional Fold is rumored to have a virtually an identical design, save for some adjustments in thickness and weight, and even some new coloration 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 massive as this, appears hardly price crying over.
If the Pixel 10 Professional Fold dimensions are to be believed, the cellphone could 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 every part 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 now have a fairly good thought of what we are able to count on from Google’s subsequent foldable, which can seem visually just like its predecessor. It is probably not a big improve, however the greatest adjustments are anticipated to occur internally, and greater than justify any potential improve in thickness when in comparison with the 9 Professional Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The primary of these adjustments is a rumored improve 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), but it surely’s rumored that the Pixel 10 Professional Fold will squeeze in a 5,015mAh battery. That’s a distinction of practically 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 attain its stage of thinness. To me, shaving off a number of millimeters doesn’t imply something if you need to sacrifice a bigger battery, significantly in a day and age when smartphones are doing a lot extra and demand extra energy. Positive, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold in all probability received’t win any thinness competitions, however the trade-off could also be nicely price it.
We’ve additionally seen leaks indicating that the Pixel 10 sequence could 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 is probably not mandatory. Whereas we haven’t seen this on the Pixel 10 Professional Fold, we are able to in all probability assume that this may even be included on the foldable, as it might be a fairly odd omission.
Including Qi2 magnets to a cellphone doubtless requires fairly a little bit of inside transforming, 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 improve 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 ranking. This could possibly 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 formidable cellphone, however all these upgrades come at a value. The Fold obtained its first value improve in years, bringing the worth 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 possibly can chalk it as much as “it’s only a $200 distinction,” however consider what you could possibly get for that $200, equivalent to a Galaxy Z Fold 7 case, display protector, and/or another accent.
In the meantime, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold is rumored to launch on the similar $1,799 price ticket as its predecessor. With that, you’ll doubtless get a extra succesful processor, quicker and extra handy charging, a bigger battery, and extra. All of that in a cellphone that may in all probability be comparatively skinny and doubtlessly extra sturdy.
If Google retains the $1,799 value, then it’s already received in my eyes. The value of foldables is a significant barrier for a lot of customers, and growing the worth doesn’t look like the easiest way to draw extra prospects in direction of shopping for their first foldables. Positive, preorders of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 are up, which is a formidable feat, however I think about lots of these aren’t 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, but it surely’s rather more palatable if you’re nonetheless getting a very good cellphone that does just about every part you want it to do. And when the choices for foldable telephones in america are nonetheless fairly restricted, customers must resolve between the cheaper cellphone and the thinner one. I do know which one I need.
I’m excited for the Pixel 10 Professional Fold
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 could also be costly, but it surely 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 unique 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 amazing cellphone.
This can be Samsung’s yr to take the foldable highlight, however that doesn’t imply the Pixel 10 Professional Fold received’t be an thrilling cellphone in its personal proper.
