Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 v/s Google Pixel Fold: Foldables compared
Samsung is the reigning champion in the foldable smartphone market with years of experience. The Galaxy Z Fold5 packs some decent improvements and even more power under the hood compared to Fold4. At its price point, the Samsung model competes with Google's Pixel Fold, which has its own distinctive take on foldables. Here, we compare the two to find out which one is better.
Both phones are IPX8 rated
The Galaxy Z Fold5 and Pixel Fold bear an inward folding design, dual displays, an aluminum frame, protective glass on the cover screen and back, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. They enjoy an IPX8 rating and can fold at multiple angles. Google's foldable is more compact. However, Fold5 is easy to hold and use with one hand, and weighs less (253g v/s 283g).
They support a 120Hz refresh rate for their displays
The Galaxy Z Fold5 sports a 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display, and a 6.2-inch Full-HD Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display. The Pixel Fold has a 7.6-inch QHD+ OLED main panel and a 5.8-inch Full-HD OLED cover screen. The Fold5 has a brighter inner screen (1,750-nits v/s 1,450-nits) than Pixel Fold. Both support up to a 120Hz refresh rate on the cover/inner displays.
The Pixel Fold has a 10.8MP telephoto lens
The Galaxy Z Fold5 packs a 50MP (OIS) main, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP (OIS, 3x) telephoto camera. Outside, it has a 10MP punch-hole camera. The Pixel Fold sports a 48MP (OIS) main, 10.8MP ultra-wide, and 10.8MP (OIS, 5x) telephoto lens. It has a 9.5MP punch-hole camera up front. Inside, the Fold5 has a 4MP under-display snapper, while Pixel Fold has an 8MP top-bezel-mounted camera.
The Fold5 houses Qualcomm's latest flagship SoC
The Galaxy Z Fold5 uses Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage configurations. The Pixel Fold is backed by Tensor G2 chipset, with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage. The Pixel Fold has a bigger battery (4,821mAh v/s 4,400mAh) than Fold5 and slightly faster wired charging (30W v/s 25W). Both support wireless charging too.
Price and availability
The Galaxy Z Fold5 has a price tag of Rs. 1,54,999 for its 12GB/256GB configuration. The upper-end 12GB/512GB and 12GB/1TB models are priced at Rs. 1,64,999 and Rs. 1,84,999, respectively. Buyers can avail bank/exchange offers. The Pixel Fold was announced at $1,799 (nearly Rs. 1,48,000) for its 12GB/256GB variant. Its 12GB/512GB model costs $1,919 (around Rs. 1,57,900). It is yet to debut in India.
Which foldable phone is better?
Samsung has a long track record of producing foldables. In addition to an improved hinge mechanism, Fold5 has a more powerful processor, more storage, better multitasking features, and Samsung's dedicated stylus pen support. However, that doesn't mean the Pixel Fold is a dud. It offers a more conventional form factor and cleaner OS. However, being unavailable in India, buyers may be inclined toward Fold5.
