This was a big year for Google thanks to the arrival of the Pixel 9 lineup. Not only did we get the return of the XL size, but Google also launched the second generation of its foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Though it was late to the foldable game, Google’s second iteration of a folding phone is a huge improvement over the original Google Pixel Fold. It’s thinner, opens flat without issue, is ergonomic, and has a fantastic inner screen and a redesigned camera module. It just feels great overall.
But there’s no denying that it’s expensive for what you get, and it’s not the only foldable out there. Here are a few alternatives to consider if you’re thinking about buying the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
OnePlus Open
The OnePlus Open is the first foldable from OnePlus, and for the company’s first attempt at a foldable, it’s pretty fantastic.
OnePlus used titanium for the OnePlus Open, making it one of the most lightweight foldables on the market. It also comes in some beautiful colors, like green and even red, while also offering a standard black color.
The displays on the OnePlus Open are fantastic. The cover screen is similar to a regular phone, so it’s a good size to hold in your hand and doesn’t have awkward aspect ratios. The inner display is one of the best around. It has an anti-reflective layer, which makes it easier to use outdoors since the glare is reduced. And with up to 2800 nits of peak brightness on both screens, visibility on the Open’s screens is about as good as it gets.
But the OnePlus Open doesn’t only look good; it also packs in a ton of power. Inside is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage. For the cameras, you get a 48MP primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The cover selfie camera is 32MP, and the inner display is 20MP for the selfie camera.
Regarding battery life, it’s hard to beat the 4,805mAh battery capacity that the OnePlus Open offers. It even supports 67-watt fast wired charging so that you can go from zero to 100% charged in about 42 minutes. There’s no wireless charging, however, but when it charges that fast, it’s a fine trade-off.
The OnePlus Open offers better specs for less than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, even though it’s about a year old. It’s still a fantastic foldable and a beast in terms of performance, and it remains one of the best folding phones around.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Samsung has been in the foldable market for six years, so it knows a thing or two about making a good foldable. That expertise is on full display with the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Though the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 isn’t very different from its predecessor, it has been refined and slimmed down. The cover display has been improved to a 6.3-inch size that is easier to use. The 7.6-inch inner display is also beautiful to look at, and both screens work with the S Pen, giving the Fold 6 a pretty unique advantage over its competitors.
Inside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, 12GB RAM, and storage that ranges from 256GB to 1TB. The triple-lens camera consists of a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom capability. Though the cameras haven’t been upgraded since the Z Fold 4, Samsung phones always take vibrant, punchy photos that look good.
For battery life, you have a 4,400mAh battery that should last all day. It charges at 45W when plugged in or 15W when charging wirelessly. The Z Fold 6 is one of the most well-rounded folding phones available today. If you’re considering the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, this also needs to be on your list of options.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
If the reason you’re thinking about a Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the large display, then you might also want to take a look at the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It’s not a foldable, but it offers one of Google’s largest phone displays — and it’s significantly cheaper, too.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the first XL-size Pixel since the Pixel 4 XL in 2019. It has a large and beautiful 6.8-inch Super Actua OLED display at 486 pixels per inch (ppi), a 120Hz refresh rate, and a whopping 3000 nits of peak brightness — that’s double the brightness that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets.
Inside the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the Tensor G4 and 16GB RAM, just like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. You can choose from at least 128GB storage, all the way up to 1TB. And while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold only gets black and white color options, the regular Pixel 9 Pro XL (and its smaller sibling) gets Rose Quartz pink or Hazel, in addition to the Obsidian (black) and Porcelain (white) colors.
Despite the Pixel 9 Pro Fold having a very expensive price tag, the cameras aren’t the best. On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which is much cheaper, has better cameras. There’s a 50MP primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. It’s a more sophisticated setup than the one you get on Google’s folding phone, and if cameras are a top priority for you, it’s a serious reason to go for the XL instead of the Fold.
Google even equipped the Pixel 9 Pro XL with a larger battery than the Fold, as it has a 5,060mAh battery inside. It has 37W wired charging, 23W wireless charging with the Pixel Stand, and 12W wireless charging with other Qi-compatible chargers. It supports reverse wireless charging as well.
If you want the Pixel experience with a large screen, but also could use better cameras, then the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a better choice than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. And you’ll save quite a bit of money, too. Definitely keep your eye on this one.
Motorola Razr Plus (2024)
If you insist on having a foldable and don’t mind the flip form factor, the Motorola Razr Plus (2024) is a great choice.
Motorola made some significant design changes to the Razr Plus this year, including the move to a vegan leather back for all colors. It’s soft and grippy, making it easier than ever to hold the phone without fear of dropping it. And the colors themselves are fantastic, especially the Spring Green.
The hinge on the Razr Plus (2024) has a new design, making it smoother and silent, which results in it feeling a lot nicer to open and close. The crease on the inner display is also mostly nonexistent, thanks to this new hinge design, and it feels much more durable overall.
For the cover display, there’s now a 4-inch pOLED always-on display with 2400 nits peak brightness and up to a 165Hz refresh rate — yes, you read that right. It may be overkill for a cover screen, but it looks great. And you can run pretty much any app on the cover display, too, making it visually and functionally fantastic. Combine that with the inner screen, with a 6.9-inch pOLED panel, 165Hz refresh rate, and up to 3000 nits peak brightness, and there’s very little to complain about.
The cameras on the Motorola Razr Plus (2024) have been upgraded, too, as the dual camera system now has a 50MP primary camera and a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. It has a 32MP camera at the top of the inner display for selfies. There are no more ultrawide lenses, but that’s a good trade-off for a flip phone with a telephoto camera.
Surprisingly, the Razr Plus (2024) has a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, which is a step below the typical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. But it’s still very solid in terms of performance, and when you have 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, it’s more than performant enough for most people.
The 4,000mAh battery isn’t massive, but it’ll still last you a whole day and then some. You also get 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. With a price tag that’s hundreds of dollars less than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, there’s a lot to like here.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Finally, before you go out and buy the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you should give serious consideration to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. It’s not a folding phone, but it has a large screen, beastly performance, and even comes with an integrated S Pen.
Samsung’s top-tier S24 Ultra has a premium look and feel with its titanium frame, boxy design with a flat screen, and bold new colors. The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display is also beautiful, with 2500 nits peak brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. The new Gorilla Armor glass also has another benefit you don’t see on many phones: less reflections. It’s not completely anti-reflective like the OnePlus Open inner display, but it significantly reduces the amount of glare, especially outdoors.
Inside the S24 Ultra is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy with 12GB RAM and various storage options up to 1TB. This is plenty of power for all your needs, including running Samsung’s Galaxy AI tools.
The S24 Ultra also comes with the S Pen, which can be used in a variety of ways besides just handwritten notes or sketching. Since it has a button, it can be used for things like a pointer for presentations or even as a remote camera shutter. Each time the S Pen is taken out of its slot, you get a pop-up menu interface on the screen with shortcuts for actions you may want to use the S Pen for.
The S24 Ultra also has some of the best cameras around. It has an incredible 200MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and another 50MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. If you want a smartphone with the absolute best cameras, it’s hard to beat the S24 Ultra’s quad camera system.
Samsung equipped the S24 Ultra with a massive 5,000mAh battery, which should last at least a day, if not more. It supports 45W wired charging and has your typical wireless and reverse wireless charging, too.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is not a cheap phone, but it’s also one of the most capable on the market today. You can likely find a good deal on it, too, considering that the Galaxy S25 series will be coming soon.
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