Samsung had its time within the highlight making a number of the greatest foldable telephones. Nevertheless, final yr proved too overwhelming as its rivals lastly delivered the products to offer Samsung a run for its cash. That’s why we’re wanting to look into how a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Google Pixel Fold 2 face-off shapes out as a result of they’re two of the perfect foldable telephones we count on to see hit the market first in 2024.
Google’s first Pixel Fold was a strong effort, particularly thanks partially to the way it was one of many first to market with a gapless hinge design. With the Pixel Fold 2, it’s Google’s likelihood at making refinements befitting of a worthy follow-up successor.
Whereas Samsung’s foldable cellphone got here out on prime in our Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Pixel Fold face-off, it was bittersweet as a result of it uncovered Samsung’s weakened grasp within the foldable market. Nevertheless, rumors about its subsequent successor, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, might redeem Samsung in a monumental means.
That’s why we’re taking an in depth take a look at all the things we all know concerning the rumored foldables to see which one might in the end win.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel Fold 2: Value and launch
If final yr’s fashions are any indication, the Pixel Fold 2 ought to launch first to reflect the late June launch of final yr’s Pixel Fold — whereas the Z Fold 6 is prone to come out later in August.
Pricing for these pocket book model foldable telephones will definitely be fascinating, particularly given how we noticed how elevated competitors and availability helped to introduce decrease price gadgets. Their respective predecessors launched at $1,800, and as a lot as we’d like to see decrease costs, it’s unlikely to occur.
For instance, there could be a $500 separation between Samsung’s flagship mannequin within the Galaxy S24 Extremely if the Z Fold 6 launches at $1,800. Google might technically undercut its rival as a result of its flagship, the Pixel 8 Professional, sells for a lot much less at $999. And the Pixel Fold has dropped to as little as $1,399 from Google, so it might proceed to be aggressive with the brand new Pixel Fold 2.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel Fold 2: Design and show
Each foldable telephones ought to basically take the identical pocket book kinds we’ve seen beforehand, however what’s unusual is that the Z Fold 6 seems to be taking design cues from the Pixel Fold — whereas the Pixel Fold 2 will undertake a narrower design just like the Z Fold 5.
Samsung’s foldable has traditionally been narrower when closed, however there may very well be a “main type issue change beginning with the Fold 6.” It’s tipped to characteristic a thinner design, with a wider side ratio with the duvet display. There have been patents indicating a design with a dockable S Pen, so it’s housed within the cellphone as a substitute of exterior, however current renders don’t point out this.
In the meantime, a leaked photograph of what’s reportedly the Pixel Fold 2 exhibits a a lot narrower outer display paired with a redesigned digital camera hump. As an alternative of getting a horizontal hump on the again that incorporates its cameras, it appears to be like just like the Pixel Fold 2 may very well be adopting a smaller, extra squarish hump that stacks one digital camera over the opposite.
Regardless that their respective designs might drastically change their appears to be like over their predecessors, we might nonetheless find yourself seeing comparable display sizes on each fashions. If these design adjustments do occur, it might inherently change the side ratios of their internal shows. For the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung reportedly trademarked the time period “Ironflex”, which reportedly would make the foldable OLED panel extra sturdy — although it may very well be nothing greater than a advertising and marketing gimmick.
There’s little or no concrete information concerning the Pixel Fold 2’s show. On the very least, we count on an analogous sized 7.6-inch internal show to match final yr’s providing — together with elevated brightness just like the massive leap we noticed from the Pixel 8 Professional.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel Fold 2: Cameras
As we’ve seen with the current Galaxy S24 Extremely, Samsung saved the digital camera {hardware} nearly unchanged — and primarily based on the early rumors to date — this might occur with the Z Fold 6 as properly. The Galaxy Z Fold 5’s triple digital camera system consists of a 50MP predominant digital camera, 12MP ultrawide digital camera and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. There’s additionally a 10MP outer selfie digital camera and a 4MP internal under-display selfie digital camera.
If Samsung intends to maintain the cameras unchanged for the Z Fold 6, then it may very well be a sign that it’s leaning on AI-assisted options to boost the digital camera expertise. We’ve seen how Galaxy AI launched digital camera options powered by synthetic intelligence — like Immediate Sluggish-Mo and Generative Edit. Nevertheless, Samsung could be smart to not less than enhance the optical vary of its telephoto digital camera to 5x to compete with the Pixel Fold 2.
As we noticed in our face-off, the Pixel Fold’s 10.8MP telephoto digital camera with 5x optical zoom delivered sharper photographs that received us nearer to topics than the Z Fold 5. We’re hopeful that even with a redesigned digital camera association for the Pixel Fold 2, we’ll get hearty upgrades that would make for a compelling foldable cellphone for capturing pictures and video. We’d like to see an extended telephoto digital camera, however a bigger digital camera sensor mixed with pixel binning tech may very well be sufficient to raise it.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel Fold 2: Efficiency and battery
With bigger shows constructed for productiveness, these foldables are going to require silicon that may juggle round operating a number of apps. Reasonably than using the identical Tensor G3 that powers the present Pixel 8 lineup, the Pixel Fold 2 might forgo it altogether and simply go straight for a Tensor G4 chip — which the rumors allude to.
Whereas the Pixel Fold delivered easy responses with on a regular basis stuff, the Tensor G2 lagged behind the competitors in a number of artificial benchmark exams, together with these for graphics processing. One of many main assumptions for that is the eventual price of the Pixel Fold 2. If it seems to be the identical $1,799 worth as earlier than, a Tensor G4 chip with better efficiency would make for a extra compelling bundle.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 ought to undertake the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip because the Galaxy S24 sequence. We’ve seen how Qualcomm’s new chipset set new efficiency data with Tom’s Information’s benchmark testing of the Galaxy S24 Extremely, so we count on nothing much less with the Z Fold 6. Exterior of the U.S., we might see it swapped out with the Exynos 2400 chip to offset world prices for the cellphone.
No matter what occurs, the Pixel Fold 2 might want to show that the Tensor G4 is legit sufficient to maintain up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 — extra so within the battery division as a result of there was such an enormous disparity between the S24 Extremely and Pixel 8 Professional. Regardless that their predecessors reached comparable instances of 10.5+ hours with Tom’s Information’s battery benchmark check, we count on larger beneficial properties for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powered Z Fold 6. Nicely, that’s until there’s a marked enchancment to the facility effectivity of a Tensor G4 chip.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel Fold 2: Software program
Software program is with out query going to take heart stage with these two foldable telephones. There’s been little or no surrounding their respective software program experiences, however we think about AI options would take heart stage. That’s as a result of we’ve seen how AI options are redefining how we work and use our telephones on the day by day with the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 sequence.
It’s unknown if the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel Fold 2 will undertake all the AI options we’ve seen already within the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8. However contemplating how productiveness performs a essential position, it’ll be fascinating how AI may very well be leveraged in such a method to streamline routines.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel Fold 2: Outlook
There’s plenty of time earlier than we are able to declare a winner in a Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel Fold 2 comparability. Samsung has extra to lose this time round, so the Galaxy Z Fold 6 can’t afford to only be a regular, iterative replace. The corporate loved staying on the prime of the rostrum, however as we’ve seen within the final yr, foldables from different corporations are simply nearly as good — together with Google.
As for the Pixel Fold 2, Google might merely depend on a refreshed design and newer {hardware} to propel it over the Z Fold 6, but it surely’ll be extra intriguing to see what AI options it leverages to set it aside. Google’s already confirmed to ship intuitive AI options that work, very like how Circle to Search makes it rather more intuitive to look with out leaving the app you’re utilizing. So we’ll be very to see which AI options will likely be unique to the Pixel Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Fold 6.