Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold practical: stagnating instead of innovating

When Google made its first foldable phone, it burst onto the scene with a handset sporting a unique design unlike any of its competitors. Then, for its second generation, Google changed the game again by opting for an even bigger and bigger screen with a redesigned hinge and best-in-class cameras. And last year it added significantly better durability that its closest competitor still hasn’t matched. But with this year’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold, it feels like Google is coasting while Samsung’s foldables overtake it.

Featuring a 6.5-inch outer screen and an 8-inch flexible inner screen, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s two OLED displays are essentially the same size as before. Peak brightness has increased by 20% to 3,600 on both panels, which is nice, and Google says its bezels are thinner than ever. Its weight is also down 10% to 239 grams (compared to 258 grams on the P10 Pro Fold). The problem is that compared to the base Z Fold 8 (201 grams) and the Z Fold 8 Ultra (215), the Pixel 11 Pro Fold still feels like a brick. And at 10.1mm, it’s also significantly thicker than Samsung’s two foldables.

Granted, the P11 Pro Fold still includes IP68 dust and water resistance, which is better than what you get on the Z Fold 8 line (IP48). But after creating an absolute tank of a foldable phone with last year’s model, I said that Google really needed to reduce the weight and thickness of this generation, and that’s simply not the case. Instead, it appears Google has leaned even further into the Pro Fold’s ruggedness with a new fiberglass material for its back panel that the company says is nearly impossible to crack. This is great in theory, but I obviously wasn’t in a position to destroy one of Google’s demo units in order to test this claim.

Inside, like the rest of the Pixel 11 family, the Pro Fold comes with a new Tensor G6 processor that delivers up to 25% faster web browsing, 20% better power efficiency, and 15% faster app loading. Google’s silicon also includes a new ISP for its camera that helps capture Night Sight photos up to 4.5 times faster, while the company’s Titan M3 security chip helps guard against increasingly complex cyberattacks.

Unfortunately, the P11 Pro Fold’s battery capacity actually decreased year-over-year, from 5,015 mAh to 4,806 mAh. In return, while wired charging remains the same at 30 watts, the phone goes up to 25 watts when resting on a compatible wireless puck thanks to Qi 2.2 support, up from just 15 watts previously.

As for the phone’s rear cameras, this year’s big upgrade is a new 48-megapixel primary sensor, which joins the existing 10.5 MP ultra-wide camera and 10.8 MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. I’m really happy to see the Pro Fold’s main camera getting a boost, as this should ensure Google’s lead in image quality. The saddest part is what the Fold doesn’t get over its other Pro siblings. This includes being limited to 30x Super Res zoom instead of 120x, and the lack of a new sensor for telephoto photos.

Luckily, the P11 Pro Fold comes with Google’s new HiLight LED indicator system, which allows the phone to alert you when someone is calling or when you trigger Gemini. And while I like this feature, not supporting texts at launch seems like a failure. Additionally, it alone isn’t enough to address the lack of innovation elsewhere on the phone.

This means that the Pro Fold relies heavily on new features and software updates across the Pixel 11 family to carry it down the line. Magic Capture is great for letting you sit back and enjoy the scene while the phone uses AI to select the best photos and videos. Then there’s Google’s new Camera Looks, which are essentially a set of customizable filters that give you more control over the colors your camera records. And if you’re an aspiring YouTuber, Google’s Creator Suite gives you plenty of tools like a built-in teleprompter, better project organization, and a new storyboard editor for all your upcoming videos. But again, all of these are available on all Pixel 11 family handsets. The same goes for all the new advanced intelligence tools, like Rambler, improved support for the phone’s AI to get flight information when texting and automating tasks.

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That means the biggest software addition to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Google Bubbles, which isn’t an exclusive feature, but it has a major impact on a large foldable like this because it lets you open most apps in a floating window. This feature even comes with a small app switcher located in the bottom right corner, so you can switch between items in a hurry. Unfortunately, Google still doesn’t let you pin the Pro Fold’s taskbar permanently to the bottom of the screen like you can on a Galaxy Fold, which would have served the same purpose. I should also mention that there are a few new Made You Look animations you can display on the Pro Fold’s cover screen to quickly get kids smiling while they’re taking photos. But unless you’re a regular performer at kids’ birthday parties, this isn’t something you’ll use every day.

For me, the most frustrating thing about the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is simply the existence of the base Galaxy Z Fold 8. Not only did Samsung double down on foldables this year by creating two new book-style foldables, but the Z Fold 8’s design is basically an updated version of what the original Pixel Fold offered in 2023. In many ways, it feels like Google is freewheeling when it comes to its foldables while Samsung borrowed and improved on something the Pixel family left for dead.

All of this doesn’t mean the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a bad device. I like a new processor as well as faster charging, brighter screens (inside and out), and a new sensor for its main camera. But between a $100 price increase over the previous model and the Pro Fold’s lack of attractive features specific to it, Google’s next flagship foldable needs more of everything if it really wants to compete with Motorola and Samsung.