The Google Pixel Fold brings flagship photography to foldables
OPINION: While early foldables were overpriced and had less power and fewer features compared to candybar alternatives, the playing field has been levelled in the past year. Foldables now feature flagship-level processors, better hinge mechanisms, and even moderate water and dust resistance.
Photography is still a bit of a weak point though, as it’s challenging to fit a large flagship-quality sensor in a thin foldable device.
However, that’s starting to change. I was impressed with Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra and its main 50MP f/1.5 aperture snapper, particularly in low-light scenarios, but it’s the Google Pixel Fold that has truly surpassed my expectations.
The Pixel Fold features a trio of rear cameras: a primary 48MP snapper with an f/1.7 aperture, accompanied by a 10.8MP ultrawide lens and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto lens. That might not sound too impressive on paper compared to flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and its various zoom lenses, but real-world performance is a different story altogether.
Just like with the Pixel 7 Pro, images captured by the main rear lens are stunningly detailed with impressive dynamic range, even on absurdly sunny days, capturing detail in both highlights and dark areas with ease. The colour is more accurate to true life than you’ll find from the likes of Samsung with its saturation-heavy processing.
It’s a similar story with the ultrawide; though it can’t take advantage of pixel-binning tech like the main sensor, the overall quality and colour palette are indistinguishable between the two. There’s also a lack of ultrawide distortion, a problem with a lot of extreme ultrawide cameras.
The 5x optical zoom also provides a level of versatility you don’t really find on foldables in 2023, delivering pin-sharp close-ups with a surprisingly natural bokeh. In fact, I prefer the natural bokeh from the 5x lens to the software-powered alternative from Portrait mode which can sometimes get edges a little wrong.
Being a Pixel-branded smartphone powered by the AI-focused Tensor G2 chipset, the smartphone also excels at AI-powered photography features like Night Sight. Though not quite capable of capturing unnatural levels of light as some flagships with larger sensors, it’s true to what I was seeing with the naked eye and, crucially, capture is pretty damn fast.
It also takes advantage of Google’s unsung hero, the Res Super Zoom, which delivered some of the sharpest results I’ve seen from a digital zoom, especially at the 20x mark. Take a look at the comparison below to see what I mean:
The Google Pixel Fold, then, represents a milestone in foldable development, delivering a camera experience closer to that of a candybar flagship than any that have come before it. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how Samsung retaliates with its Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, rumoured to launch in July.
While I’m not yet ready to deliver my full verdict on the Pixel Fold, I will be sharing my complete thoughts on Google’s first foldable in the coming days. Be sure to keep an eye out on Trusted Reviews to read my comprehensive review.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
