Should you buy the Google Pixel Fold, or wait for the Pixel Fold 2? – Android Police

The Google Pixel Fold is one of the best foldable smartphones that money can buy right now, especially if youre in the US, where the selection of foldables is fairly limited comnpared to regions like the EU. That said, there are still a few noteworthy devices available, most of which are available at similar prices, and with similar benefits.

However, the Pixel Fold stands out with its wider design, which can unfold to reveal a large landscape main display that measures 7.6-inches. Its excellent for browsing, multitasking, and even gaming. However, given its been over a year since the Pixel Fold's debut, its time to ask whether its still worth buying it today, or if you should wait for the Pixel Fold 2, rumored to release as early as, potentially, Google's August 13th Pixel event.

Google's first foldable fails to live up to its full potential

As a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold user who also tried the Pixel Fold for a short time, I can attest that Google has nailed the essentials with this device. The Android system features a dock and the ability to run two apps side-by-side, among other useful functions. It's a smooth experience, and while power users like myself may occasionally use three or four apps when the phone is unfolded, its not necessary for most tasks.

Thats why its only fine for the most part, though. While Google has done a great job optimizing the software experience for most users, its not great for power users who want to have their notes, a specific app, and a calculator open, for example. Or any other combination of apps.

These are niche use cases, but the Fold is for a niche audience. Its more expensive than conventional devices, and its best suited for those who can take advantage of the massive display. Therefore, Google shouldve done a little more.

The Pixel Fold received a lot of mixed press initially, due to the display breaking for some users, and the phone's inability to fully open. It wasnt a good start, despite the phone working well for most people. Months later, the issues have seemingly disappeared, but the damage was already done, and most power users still joke about the Pixel Fold not being able to fully open, or requiring too much force to do so.

At this point, its probably fair to say the hardware wasnt as solid as most people thought, but it still worked as intended. While, yes, it required some force to open completely, the rest of the hardware worked well, and it still holds up today. It's why we still recommend it as one of the best foldable devices around.

The Pixel Fold boasts a 5.8-inch cover and a 7.6-inch main display. Its plenty bright, colorful, and large enough to handle most tasks. But one of the main reasons why it wasn't the best device is due to Googles decision to make it open in a horizontal state. While this goes against my first point, it wasnt entirely on Google for the Fold's lack of success.

Developers didnt optimize their apps to work in that mode, and many applications didnt play well in that orientation. Apps would often have empty spaces on the sides, and apps sometimes opened in a traditional aspect ratio, as if it were a normal smartphone without the folding element.

It wasnt a great experience, especially compared to the likes of Samsung or OnePlus' foldables, which used vertical orientations when their devices were unfolded.

But not all hope is lost. The original Pixel Fold showed us that Google wants a slice of the pie, and it did a lot of things right. It showed us the company can design its own foldable that can mostly track the quality of other competing devices, even though it was technically the first generation of its kind.

It has likely provided Google with valuable experience, enabling them to do better for the next iteration. And we might just be in for a treat. Assuming the rumors are true, the next Pixel Fold could feature major upgrades.

This year's Pixel Fold successor might be all new, right down to its very name

For one, the design will move from a horizontal experience to a vertical one, more closely resembling a traditional foldable phone. It wont be as wide as the first-generation Fold, either, so the phone should play nicer with apps when unfolded. Leaked photos and renders mostly show it taking inspiration from devices like the OnePlus Open, which is good, as OnePlus first foldable remains one of our favorite devices.

Theres still a lot to learn about the Google Pixel Fold 2, with some rumors even claiming it could be called the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, as things stand, it looks like the Fold 2 could be a massive upgrade, coming with hardware improvements that could appeal to even more people, and have better software that presents apps in a way thats more user-friendly. Unless you find an amazing deal on the Google Pixel Fold, its almost certainly best to wait for other foldables.

The original Pixel Fold might not have the reputation as the best foldable device, but its the best phone Google has to offer. Its powerful and full, comes with two large and bright displays, a decent camera setup, and a day-long battery life. It provides benefits to both power users and those who prefer a more minimalist approach to software.

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Should you buy the Google Pixel Fold, or wait for the Pixel Fold 2? - Android Police