Folding phones have been around for a few years, but they remain a niche in the mobile market. One of the main reasons is the price, with many foldables costing at least $1,800. While Samsung has the most experience in this field, Google joined the fray last year with its first foldable, the Pixel Fold.
For a first attempt, the Google Pixel Fold was impressive. However, not long after, OnePlus launched its own foldable, the OnePlus Open, which quickly gained popularity.
I decided to revisit the Pixel Fold a year after its release, having used and preferred the OnePlus Open. So, how does the Pixel Fold fare now? It’s complicated.
What I Still Like About the Google Pixel Fold
When the Pixel Fold was first revealed, I was excited. I’ve always liked Google’s Pixel devices for their stock Android experience and excellent cameras. Although my enthusiasm for the Pixel Fold has waned, there are still aspects I appreciate.
The cover display is one of my favorite features. Google opted for a 5.8-inch cover display, which I find very usable. It reminds me of the iPhone XS display, which is also 5.8 inches, and is perfect for my smaller hands, allowing for easy one-handed navigation.
The Pixel Fold’s cover display feels like a regular phone and is easy to type on, unlike the tall and narrow Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which has a cramped keyboard that often leads to typos.
While I admire the OnePlus Open’s hinge for its ease of opening flat, it’s a bit loose, making clamshell mode (like a mini laptop) challenging. The Pixel Fold, however, has a firm hinge that holds its position well, offering more versatility despite requiring more force to open completely.
One of Android’s downsides is that not all apps are optimized for large screens, whether foldables or tablets. This issue is more prevalent on Android than on iOS, in my experience.
Google optimized its first-party apps for the Pixel Fold’s larger screen. Initially, the Pixel Fold’s horizontal/landscape orientation caused third-party apps to display black bars or take up partial screen space. Thankfully, Google addressed this with a new experimental “Aspect Ratio” setting in the Apps section of the Settings app. While I wish there was a blanket setting to enable full screen for all apps, this is a significant improvement.
https://github.com/serzanx/watchthai/issues/32
https://github.com/serzanx/watchthai/issues/33
https://github.com/serzanx/watchthai/issues/34
https://github.com/serzanx/watchthai/issues/35
https://www.artstation.com/thai-film-the-cursed-land-full-story/profile
https://www.artstation.com/the-cursed-land-thai-movie-online/profile
https://www.artstation.com/thai-film-uranus2324-full-story/profile
https://www.artstation.com/uranus-2324-thai-movie-online/profile
https://pastelink.net/wfpua6sw
https://www.bitsdujour.com/profiles/xcRDtg
https://open.firstory.me/user/clyllqz6v034p0111373v89ji
https://heylink.me/tolikasa
https://wokwi.com/projects/403393390621644801
http://training.monro.com/forum/posts/m139454-My-Love-Hate-Relationship-with-the-Google-Pixel-Fold#post139454
https://gtksa.net/bbs/board.php?bo_table=used&wr_id=134983
https://forum.potok.digital/topic/2753/my-love-hate-relationship-with-the-google-pixel-fold
https://lifeisfeudal.com/Discussions/question/my-love-hate-relationship-with-the-google-pixel-fold
https://yuamikamii.copiny.com/idea/details/id/190168
