Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: the foldable with the best triple camera

Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: the foldable with the best triple camera. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianReviewPixel 11 Pro Fold review: the foldable with the best triple cameraBig screen folder with slick software and advanced AI is just like a regular Android when closedGoogle’s latest folding phone sticks with its tried and tested design of a traditional phone shape when closed and almost square when open, in the face of new competition from Apple’s squat iPhone fold.

What happened

Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe Pixel Fold has some of the best cameras on a foldable phone, including three on the back and two very good selfie cameras, one in each screen. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe Fold also has the new software features from the other Pixel 11 phones, including Camera Looks, which allows you to customise the processing of your photos for different styles. As with all foldables the inside screen can be permanently marked by a fingernail if you press hard enough, so you must still be careful with it compared with a standard Pixel.

Big screen folder with slick software and advanced AI is just like a regular Android when closedGoogle’s latest folding phone sticks with its tried and tested design of a traditional phone shape when closed and almost square when open, in the face of new competition from Apple’s squat iPhone fold. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Google’s fourth-generation folder and is still one of the only models with a full water and dust resistance rating similar to standard slab phones. It costs from £1,799 (€1,999/$1,899/A$2,799), which is £50 (€100/$100/A$100) more than last year as the pressure of RAMageddon continues to push up prices. Continue reading. . .

Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Big, bright internal screen folds to the same size and shape as a regular Pixel. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianView image in fullscreenBig, bright internal screen folds to the same size and shape as a regular Pixel. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Google’s fourth-generation folder and is still one of the only models with a full water and dust resistance rating similar to standard slab phones.

The wider picture

Unlike Samsung’s slender Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra or squat models such as Apple’s iPhone Duo or the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Pixel has the same ratio screen as Google’s slab phones and so handles precisely like them when shut with a bright and smooth 6. View image in fullscreenThe Pixel 11 Pro Fold is just like a regular Android when closed. The display is very bright, crisp and smooth, but the crease where it folds is more visible and detectable with your fingers than the best rivals.

Like all foldable phones the screen is also delicate compared with standard hardened glass phones. The back of the phone hides the excellent Qi2 magnetic charging and accessory support from last year, while Google’s gimmicky HiLight notification LED, as seen on the other Pro Pixels, replaces the camera’s flash. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe 11 Pro Fold has the same Tensor G6 chip from the other Pixel 11 models with 16GB of memory, which works very well for all kinds of multitasking, remaining snappy and responsive with multiple apps on screen.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold contains 24% recycled materials by weight. The rear cameras include a new 48MP main camera with a larger sensor, matching that in the regular Pixel 11, which captures better detail and has significantly better lowlight performance than its predecessor.

What has been reported

The camera also has tricks to make use of the folding form, including modes to shoot when propped up and the excellent Made You Look feature that displays an animated character that reacts to your kid’s smiling to help take better photos. Overall, the 11 Pro Fold has an excellent set of cameras that don’t feel a significant downgrade on top regular smartphones. PriceThe Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold costs from £1,799 (€1,999/$1,899/A$2,799). For comparison, the Pixel 11 costs £879, Pixel 11 Pro costs £1,079, the Pixel 11 Pro XL costs £1,279, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra costs £1,899, the iPhone Duo costs £1,999 and the Honor Magic V6 costs £1,499.

VerdictThe Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a fairly minor hardware update for Google’s folding phone line, which makes it slightly lighter, smaller, brighter and faster, while keeping its overall look and feel the same. It has great AI tools, slick software and some of the very best cameras. But if you want a folding phone to be exactly the same as a regular one when closed, the Pixel Fold is the one to get. Pros: just like a regular Pixel when closed, good tablet screen, dust and water resistant, Qi2 magnetic accessory and charging, good performance, great cameras with 5x zoom, great software packed with cutting-edge AI, six months of Google AI Pro included, seven years of software updates.

What happens next

Cons: very expensive, more fragile and costlier to repair than a regular Pixel, thick and heavy, cameras can’t match regular Pixel 11 Pro, battery life could be better. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianExplore more on these topicsSmartphonesGoogleMobile phonesAndroidPixelAlphabetreviewsShareReuse this contentMost viewedMost viewed The 11 Pro Fold looks identical to previous models, but it is 19g lighter and fractionally slimmer in all directions with a slightly larger outside screen. 5in FHD+ 120Hz OLED (399ppi) Inside screen: 8in 120Hz OLED (372ppi) Processor: Google Tensor G6 RAM: 16GB Storage: 256, 512GB or 1TB Operating system: Android 17 Camera: 48MP wide, 10.

8MP 5x telephoto; two 10MP selfie cameras Connectivity: 5G, eSim, USB-C, wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 6, UWB, Thread, GNSS Water resistance: IP68 (1. 5 metres for 30 minutes) Dimensions folded: 155. Most will have to charge it nightly, but even on the heaviest of use days the Pixel managed to end the day without requiring a top-up.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across theguardian.com, wired.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.