Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs Pixel Fold: Expected differences

Google is preparing to lift the curtain before its latest Pixel family – the Pixel 10 series. Along with all other non-foldable models, we expect the third generation of the Pixel Fold, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

The name might be a little misleading, as Google rebranded the Fold last year and shuffled the Pro lineup to make room for the XL, but the really interesting comparison is the one with the original Pixel Fold.

In this article we will try to see how far the foldable Pixel has come in the past couple of years. This comparison is preliminary at this point, as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is still under wraps, but we have enough information to get started.

There are some exciting differences in all areas, including the main and cover displays, the processor inside and the camera system.

When Google entered the foldable game, the company decided to go against the grain and offer a different design. The original Pixel Fold was wider and shorter than most of the foldables at the time, with a 5.8-inch cover screen and a squarish 7.6-inch inner display.

The phone was comfortable to work with both folded and unfolded, but the weight of nearly 300 grams made handling for extended periods tiring.

The second generation changed things around and opted for a more Galaxy Fold-like aspect ratio and size, and we expect the same design to be present on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

According to the latest info, we're expecting very similar dimensions to the previous generation, which, compared to the original Pixel Fold, would mean a narrower and taller device.

When it comes to weight, the new phone is expected to come in at around 257 grammes – substantially lighter than the first generation.

*rumored

The building blocks of a modern smartphone haven't changed in the past couple of years, and the same goes for the Pixel Fold and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Both phones use aluminum and glass for their construction.

The original Pixel Fold uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus over the cover screen, and we expect the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to upgrade this protection to Gorilla Glass Victus 2. When it comes to IP ratings, the Pixel Fold launched with IPX8 protection. We expect the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to upgrade that to a proper IP68 dust and water resistance.

*rumored

Color-wise, the Pixel Fold is available in just two hues – Porcelain and Obsidian, Google's take on the black and white colors. Latest leaks suggest that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might come in two exciting new colors in addition to the aforementioned Porcelain and Obsidian, and these are Sterling Grey and Green.

The original Pixel Fold launched with a very interesting aspect ratio that mandated different screen sizes (compared to the Galaxy Fold, for example). The phone featured a 7.6-inch main screen and a 5.8-inch cover screen.

Google changed the approach with the next generation, and we expect this change to be present on the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold as well. The main screen is believed to be an 8-inch OLED with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. In comparison, the main screen of the Pixel Fold is rated at 1,450 nits only.

*rumored

Regarding the cover screen, things are again different. Google is continuing with the 6.3-inch size from the last generation, and this time around it might be a tad brighter than its predecessor and also brighter than the cover screen of the original Pixel Fold. 

We're talking the same 2,700 nits of peak brightness as cited for the main display of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The cover screen of the original Pixel Fold was able to go up to 1,550 nits only. Both phones feature a 120 Hz display refresh rate across their main and cover screens.

The Pixel Fold was launched in a separate window from the other Pixel phones, which is one of the main reasons the phone has a Tensor G2 processor on board. It's already two generations old, and by the time the Pixel 10 Pro Fold hits the shelves, the Pixel Fold's G2 silicon will be ancient.

The aforementioned Pixel 10 Pro Fold will be an integral part of the Pixel 10 series, meaning it will get the latest Tensor G5 chipset, built using 3nm technology. This chipset is already promising because Google has moved from its partnership with Samsung and won't be using Exynos as a base architecture for its Tensor chips anymore.

However, don't get your hopes too high. Latest rumors from industry insiders suggest that the Tensor G5 will have similar performance to its predecessor, the Tensor G4, the only difference being that it will now be manufactured by TSMC.

We will run those two against each other when the Pixel 10 Pro Fold officially launches, but for early comparison purposes, the G2 managed 1483 and 3568 in Geekbench's single- and multicore tests, respectively, while the Tensor G4 inside the last-gen model scored 1962 and 4405 in the same tests. We expect a small step forward for the G5 but nothing major.

In terms of RAM, the Pixel Fold has 12GB LPDDR5 on board, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to mimic the RAM of the previous generation; it will most likely come with 16GB of the same LPDDR5 RAM.

The original Pixel Fold launched with a pretty potent camera system. It included three cameras on the back and two selfie cameras. The main camera uses a 48MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, coupled with a 10.8MP ultrawide camera, and the trio is completed by a 10.8MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom.

Google tweaked this system on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold but not by much, and we expect very similar hardware on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

*rumored

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is rumored to get a similar camera system to its predecessor, including a 50MP primary camera with a Samsung GN8 sensor, a 10.5MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto with a 5X zoom. 

This system looks similar on paper not only to the last generation but also to the one found on the original Pixel Fold, but Google's software optimizations may result in higher image quality as post-processing algorithms and AI are all the rage nowadays in smartphone photography.

 

We will include comparison samples once we lay our hands on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

The original Pixel Fold launched with a pretty hefty battery (for a foldable). The two cells inside have a combined capacity of 4,821 mAh, which promises good battery life. Sadly, the Tensor G2 isn't the most efficient silicon out there, and the phone was only able to score 5h 23m, which grants it 118th place for phones tested in the past 2 years in our battery benchmark.

Now, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to feature a smaller 4,650 mAh battery, but the 3 nm Tensor G5 chipset might actually help the phone score better than its granddad. We have to test the phone when it launches, so stay tuned for that.

In terms of charging, we don't expect any difference, sadly, despite the recent developments in fast charging coming from China. The original Pixel Fold supports 21W wired charging and is able to fill its battery from zero to full in 1 hour and 39 minutes. Don't hold your breath for faster charging on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Here's how the Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs Pixel Fold specs will likely compare. Of course, have in mind that all these are preliminary and could be subject to change.  

*rumored specs

Even at this early stage it's plain to see that the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold will be the better phone compared to its granddad, the original Pixel Fold. There are little to no reasons to opt for the older mode, apart from nostalgia for the unique form factor.

We expect the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to be faster, brighter and more capable at photography. It will also be supported much longer thanks to the seven years of major OS updates Google is offering on its flagships.

So, if you want to get a taste of the foldable smartphone menu and lean toward Google's offerings, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the better choice. The same goes for all of you that want to upgrade from a Pixel Fold or other older foldable.

We will update the comparison with some hard numbers, benchmarks and samples once the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is official.