Most individuals don’t have to pay the premium for a foldable smartphone. However when you’ve received some money to burn and have been trying to make the leap, the Google Pixel Fold is considered one of our favorites, and a current deal has dropped it right down to $1,399. That is nonetheless removed from “reasonably priced,” but it surely ties the biggest low cost we’ve seen for the unlocked 256GB mannequin, taking $400 off Google’s listing value. The supply is on the market at a number of retailers, together with Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google’s online store. In the event you want extra space for storing, Google has the 512GB model for $1,519, one other $400 low cost. The corporate says this deal will run by way of February 24.
Photograph by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Whereas not low cost, this deal matches the low we noticed throughout Black Friday for the unlocked model of Google’s foldable cellphone.
The Pixel Fold is the runner-up decide in our information to the most effective foldable telephones, and Engadget Senior Author Sam Rutherford gave it a score of 85 in his overview final June. Much like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5, our prime decide, it is a “book-style” foldable, one which works like a standard 5.8-inch smartphone when folded in half however presents a bigger 7.6-inch show when unfurled. Subsequent to Samsung’s cellphone (and the OnePlus Open), although, the Pixel’s shows are shorter and wider, which usually makes the machine simpler to make use of like a standard cellphone. Your fingers have extra room to breathe whereas texting when the cellphone is folded, whereas apps and movies will look extra pure on the duvet show. Samsung’s screens are brighter and extra vibrant total, however the 120Hz OLED panels listed below are nonetheless removed from poor. You’ll be able to see a crease in the midst of the interior show, nevertheless.
Past that, we have discovered the Pixel Fold’s cameras and picture processing to ship extra correct and dynamic pictures than both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the OnePlus Open, particularly in low-light circumstances. It is thinner than Samsung’s cellphone as nicely, although it is barely thicker than the Open. Like different Pixel telephones, the Fold runs on a comparatively clear and streamlined model of Android. A good variety of Google’s personal apps are tweaked to higher match the bigger display screen, and you may run two cellphone apps side-by-side. Google says it’s going to present OS updates by way of June 2026, with two extra years of safety updates. That stated, the Z Fold 5’s UI has extra highly effective instruments for multitasking. And as with most Android tablets, it will not take too lengthy to seek out apps that are not optimized for big shows.
There are different caveats. The Pixel Fold is in no way gradual, however its Tensor G2 chip is now a bit dated, so the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Open present higher uncooked efficiency. Battery life is worse by a number of hours, too, plus it has bigger bezels across the show. Then there’s the elephant within the room: All foldable telephones carry a better sturdiness danger. The Fold has extra methods to break regardless of costing greater than the best “normal” phones, so you will need to be notably cautious with it. It is also price noting that Google is likely working on a Pixel Fold 2, although that is not anticipated anytime quickly. All that stated, the present Fold has lots to love when you lifeless set on a foldable cellphone at the moment, and this deal makes it at the least just a little extra accessible.
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