We’re just days away from the official release of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, and we already know it’s going to be one of the best folding phones, not just in the US but everywhere. Yet, the competition is already heating up as the new Honor Magic V5 is expected to launch in global markets, and a successor to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is likely to follow.
Last year, Google introduced a polished second-generation folding phone that addressed many of the issues with the original Pixel Fold, creating a device that surpassed the Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, this year, Samsung has introduced a host of improvements with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 that make it better than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
So, what does Google need to do to compete? Here are three things the next Pixel 10 Pro Fold should emulate from the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Thin is in, and Google should follow
Having spent two weeks with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, if Google improved the few issues with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but kept the thickness and design the same, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold wouldn’t be enough.
The radical redesign, which reduces the phone’s thickness by 3.2 mm when folded, makes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 feel like a regular smartphone when closed. This is key to the experience and addresses the primary concern that several average users, whom I’ve spoken to, have voiced about the foldables they can buy: they’re too thick. As we found, the majority of people are surprised by the build of the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, measuring 10.5mm thick when folded (and 5.1mm when unfolded). However, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 reverses this trend and is considerably thinner than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, measuring 8.9mm and 4.21mm thick, respectively. The new proportions of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 create an undeniable in-hand appeal, but if the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a little thinner, Google can elicit a similar response. It doesn’t need to be as ergonomically friendly, but it needs to be slimmer and lighter than it is.
Slimming down is the new bulking up
That thickness also translates to weight; weighing 257 grams, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is already considerably heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (239 grams). The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is significantly lighter, weighing 215 grams, and the 42-gram difference is noticeably apparent in the hand. Google needs to try and drop a few grams at least, and going thinner is an easy way to achieve this.
It’s not just the Galaxy Z Fold 7: Google is heavier than all of its key rivals. The Find N5 weighs 229 grams — already a notable heft over the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — while the Magic V5 weighs just 217 grams. The former is less of a concern, but the Magic V5 will likely be sold in many of the same global markets as the previous Honor Magic V3, which competes directly with Google in several key markets outside of the US.
The new proportions of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 create an undeniable in-hand appeal, and if the Pixel 9 Pro Fold can be both thinner and lighter, it can elicit a similar response. However, if it’s not, Google may struggle to sell the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Next to Samsung, Google has the widest in-store availability, and side-by-side comparisons between the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 are inevitable. A thinner and lighter Pixel 10 Pro Fold would allow Google to offer a viable alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold needs color
Google offers a unique range of colors for most of the best Google phones, but the Fold range is often left behind. The Pixel 9 range comes in several different colors, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was only available in Obsidian (black) and Porcelain (white).
Meanwhile, Samsung offers a wide range of Galaxy Z Fold 7 colors, including a beautiful blue shadow variant that looks stunning in the light. It would be fairly simple for Google to launch the Pixel 10 Pro Fold in one non-standardized color that can compete with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. If Google were to choose the Wintergreen Pixel 9 color, it would offer a more vibrant hue than the mint color of the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
In many ways, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers numerous improvements that Google has already introduced in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, such as a larger display, a shorter and wider form factor, and enhanced cameras. However, the design changes help the Galaxy Z Fold 7 surpass the Pixel 9 Pro Fold considerably, and Google needs to emulate Samsung’s approach in the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
