I love my Samsung Z Fold 7, but these Google Pixel upgrades would win me over

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (left) competed with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (right) last summer.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to launch on August 20, but it might not go on sale till October 9.
• It will be difficult for Google to beat Samsung in the foldable segment this year due to design differences.
• Unless there’s an actually useful AI feature or significantly better battery life, I’ll stick with my Galaxy Z Fold 7.

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Samsung turned around its foldable phone lineup at its Galaxy Unpacked event last month. After years of iterative upgrades, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is finally ready for prime time. Naturally, I expect other folding phones to follow suit, including the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. But it seems like Google’s upcoming foldable has already loss some ground to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 due to an unexpected supply chain delay.

According to a report from WinFuture, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold won’t arrive in stores alongside the rest of Google’s phone lineup this month. While the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL are rumored to go on sale starting August 28, supply chain woes point to users potentially having to wait until October to get their hands on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. 

Also: Do yourself a favor and skip buying a Google Pixel right now – it’ll be worth it

WinFuture says the supply chain issues extend to the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a, with the trio not being available to purchase until October 9.

If true, this could be a huge setback for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold because its rival retains most of (and is likely to build) its momentum this year. I’ve been using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 since its launch and am pleased with the experience. Clearly, I’m not alone. Samsung worked on (almost) every downside of the Fold 6 and delivered a close-to-perfect folding phone.

How the Pixel 10 Pro Fold can win me over

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner, slimmer, and features a stronger hinge and the smallest crease on a foldable. Its cover screen is now more functional, and the full-screen experience has been more than enough to satisfy my power user needs. Samsung’s Galaxy AI is also the most complete suite of AI features on a phone, and it is accompanied by One UI 8 customizations. It is so good that I don’t want to put it down. However, the $2,000 is not without its flaws.

There are two parameters for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to improve and outshine Samsung: battery life and telephoto camera. I use my phone more than the average user, so my Galaxy Z Fold 7 barely lasts me into the evening. While the 4,400mAh battery might be fine for users with under six hours of screen time, for someone like me who averages 8-9 hours, I need something bigger — and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold could deliver just that.

Also: I spent a week in New York City with the Samsung Z Fold 7 – and it spoiled me the entire time

According to leaks, the upcoming Google foldable could get a 7% increase in its battery capacity to around 5,000mAh. That’s 600mAh more than its South Korean rival. However, it will be powered by a Tensor chip, which isn’t expected to be as efficient as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. Sure, the Tensor G5 may be more powerful than ever, but I’m more curious about the efficiency gains. 

As for the optics, Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is touted to feature an unchanged 12MP telephoto camera, which doesn’t look promising when compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. I guess we’ll have to wait for another update cycle for a foldable phone to be one of the best camera phones out there.

All eyes are on August 20

I’m not writing off the Pixel 10 Pro Fold just yet, and am still looking forward to all the new AI features it’ll likely bring. Tensor G5’s upgraded TPU is said to allow for multiple new AI features in photo and video editing. 

But unless there’s a unique AI feature that’s actually useful in day-to-day use and a significant price difference, it is going to be hard for Google to stand out with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold — especially if it won’t be available for purchase close to two months after launch. 

That said, this is only a leak, and Google hasn’t shared any availability details yet. We hope to learn more about the Pixel 10 lineup at the Made By Google event on August 20, and have reached out to the company for comment regarding the reported news.