For the past few weeks, I’ve been using Google’s new Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and like the Google Pixel 10 Pro, it has grown on me.
Unlike the competition, Google built a folding phone that makes almost no compromises and has most of the flagship features that you may be looking for. Yet, as much as I enjoy using the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 7 keeps drawing me back.
This may come as a surprise, as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has several advantages over Samsung’s folding phone, but this is the one reason that I’d still recommend the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to anyone looking for the best folding phone.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the kitchen sink of folding phones
There’s only one way to describe the Pixel 10 Pro Fold: it’s the kitchen sink of folding phones. i.e., Google included all the core features in this phone that are often left out of folding phones.
There’s a reduced bezel, resulting in a slightly larger front display that now measures 6.4 inches instead of 6.3 inches on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Both the front and main screens are now significantly brighter as well, resulting in a much more pleasing visual experience.
Then there’s the addition of native Qi2 charging, with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold joining the rest of Google’s new lineup in featuring integrated Qi2 and MagSafe-compatible magnets. However, it only charges at 15W, versus the 25W charging offered by the latest iPhones and the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
The best addition to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is its IP68 dust and water resistance, making it the first folding phone to meet the same durability standards as the best phones. This is a very welcome upgrade, especially as it means the phone can survive an accidental splash in a body of water.
If you’ve been worried about the durability of folding phones, this should go a considerable way to improve that. However, all these upgrades come at a key cost for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold: its size.
There’s one major flaw with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold
The changes this year offer small refinements in key ways, and there’s an alternate reality where the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is undoubtedly the best folding phone you can buy right now. However, all the changes have led to increases in both thickness and weight, which bucks a key trend among the best Android phones and the iPhone Air.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the same height (155.2 mm) as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Unfolded, it measures 0.2mm taller and 0.1mm thicker, both of which are pushing the boundaries but are still acceptable. However, it’s when folded that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold ultimately falls short.
Folded, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold measures 76.3 mm wide and 10.8 mm thick. It’s worth noting that it’s actually 0.8mm narrower, which makes it easier to hold, but the increased thickness is the major concern. It’s also one gram heavier, which isn’t a problem until you consider the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
This is where Samsung nailed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 experience
Simply put, this is a key area where Samsung nailed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 experience. It’s the key selling point of the best Samsung phones, and the reason that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the best phones I’ve ever used, even with some flaws.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a larger front screen at 6.5 inches and is 3.2mm taller than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Unfolded, the 8-inch screen is the same size as the one on Google’s folding phone, but Samsung’s folding phone is 7.2 mm narrower. Folded, the phone is also 3.5 mm narrower, but it’s in the thickness that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 shines.
Simply put, it’s a considerably sleeker folding phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 1mm less when unfolded, and a considerable 1.9mm when folded. Yes, it has a smaller battery, slower charging, and lower peak brightness than Google’s folding phone, but it also weighs 43 grams less, which makes all the difference.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 no longer feels like a folding phone when folded, and that is key. As we found when we showed it to 30 people, it’s virtually indistinguishable from the Galaxy S25 Ultra when folded, making it the closest we’ve ever come to a regular-sized phone that unfolds.
This may seem trivial, but in actual use, the size differences make all the difference. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a wonderful folding phone, but it bucks the trend of thinner and lighter phones. As the reported success of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Honor Magic V5 — both ultra-thin phones that set the trend for ultra-thin phones — shows, thickness and weight matter a lot when it comes to the best folding phones.
