The Pixel 11 Pro Fold Marks a Significant Shift in Smartphone Design

The foldable phone landscape is undergoing a significant shift, but it seems Google hasn’t quite caught the wave. Last year, Samsung revamped its Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a sleeker design, and this year, it’s made its devices even thinner and lighter, nearly erasing the crease and introducing a new passport-sized form factor that feels like a glimpse into the future. Next month, Apple is rumored to join the fray with a foldable iPhone that promises to incorporate all these advancements along with iOS.

Amidst this whirlwind of innovation, Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold remains largely unchanged. Like its Pixel 11 siblings, this device is an incremental hardware upgrade, but its design already feels a bit stale. It’s slightly thinner and lighter than last year’s model, with a marginally improved main camera and brighter screens. However, the core hardware remains the same, enhanced by software updates like Camera Looks, multitasking Bubbles, and Creator Suite tools.

While it’s not a bad phone by any means—boasting an IP68 rating for durability, a solid triple camera setup, and robust software—it seems that sticking with the same design might not be the best strategy. The 11 Pro Fold’s aspect ratio sits comfortably between Samsung’s bulkier Z Fold 8 and the slimmer Z Fold 8 Ultra, and despite a price increase, it still feels competitively priced.

At $1,899, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is $100 more than its predecessor, but unlike the other Pixel 11 models, this price hike doesn’t come with a storage bump; it starts at 256GB, the same as last year. You can opt for 512GB for an additional $120 or 1TB for $230, with all versions featuring 16GB of RAM.

That extra $100 brings a few hardware upgrades: the chipset is now the Tensor G6, both OLED displays are brighter with a peak of 3,600 nits, the 48-megapixel main camera has a larger sensor, and Qi2 magnetic wireless charging has been boosted to 25W from 15W.

In terms of design, the phone is 0.7mm thinner when closed and 19g lighter, which may not sound like much, but the difference is noticeable when comparing the two generations side by side. The 11 Pro Fold is more comfortable for extended use, but it still feels bulky compared to Samsung’s latest offerings, which have embraced a slimmer profile.

The crease on the display is also quite pronounced, easily visible even from the front and noticeable when swiping. Samsung and Oppo have made strides in minimizing their creases, leaving Google with some catching up to do.

The nearly square main display is great for multitasking, especially with the new Bubbles feature in Android 17, which allows multiple apps to float in smaller windows for quick access. On the 11 Pro Fold’s larger display, these bubbles can dock unobtrusively in the corner, making it easy to switch between tasks like skipping songs on Spotify or checking messages on WhatsApp. However, compared to Samsung’s wider Z Fold 8, this square screen feels a bit outdated, especially as other brands like Huawei and Apple are expected to adopt similar designs.

Despite its bulk, the 11 Pro Fold has its perks. It retains the IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, a feature that adds value for a phone priced over $2,000. Google also claims that the new glass fiber composite back is three times more durable and “nearly impossible to crack.”

While it supports Qi2 magnetic wireless charging, it lacks a silicon-carbon battery like Samsung’s new models, resulting in a slightly smaller battery capacity of 4,806mAh compared to the 5,015mAh of the previous model. Battery life remains decent, typically lasting through the day, but it’s not quite a two-day device.

The most notable design change is the HiLight feature, which repurposes the camera flash into a multicolor notification light. While the idea is intriguing, its current functionality is limited to a few specific uses, and customization options are minimal. If it’s going to be this basic, one has to wonder why it was even included.

On the camera front, the 48-megapixel main sensor is the same as the regular Pixel 11, and it shares similar telephoto and ultrawide lenses. Overall, the camera performance is solid, especially in low light, but the telephoto lens struggles at its maximum zoom. Still, having a third lens is a plus, especially with Samsung dropping the telephoto from its latest foldable.

Google has enhanced the camera app with several software upgrades, which may be more impactful than the hardware changes. New Camera Looks allow for real-time adjustments to image style, while Magic Capture records video and selects the best frames for you. The Creator Suite offers tools for content creators, including an onscreen teleprompter.

AI improvements are also present, with Rambler providing dictation and Proactive Assistance offering task prompts. However, the latter feature has been hit or miss in terms of reliability.

With Samsung revamping its foldable lineup and Apple’s entry looming, Google may have chosen the wrong year to play it safe. The 11 Pro Fold is far from obsolete; it remains the only foldable with an IP68 rating and magnetic charging, and its triple rear camera is a significant advantage over Samsung’s dual-camera setup. The software updates, particularly Camera Looks and Bubbles, could sway users back to this device, but whether it can compete with Apple’s upcoming offering remains to be seen.