Pixel 10 Pro Fold Early Camera Comparison vs 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 7
After unboxing the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the first thing everyone wants to know is how the camera stacks up. While the primary camera sensor hasn't changed much from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Google's processing has, and those subtle tweaks make all the difference. In this post, we put the new Pixel's camera head to head with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 to see where it stands.
Primary Camera Performance
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold really nails color reproduction. Its images are punchier and have more contrast, giving them a more accurate look compared to the warmer tones you'll find on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 occasionally pumps up the colors just a bit, which is going to be something you love or hate. Overall, all three phones capture a similar amount of detail. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold's algorithm seems to be a little aggressive with sharpening, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7's larger sensor gives you a nicer, shallower depth of field.
Zoom Capabilities
When it comes to zoom, things get interesting. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s 3x digital crop performs surprisingly well. This is attributed to improved processing. However, in good lighting, the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s 3x optical zoom is superior. For 5x zoom, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's sensor performs well in low-light situations. The Galaxy Z Fold 7's digital crop to 5x also performs well because of its more aggressive noise reduction.
Ultrawide
The ultrawide cameras on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Pixel 9 Pro Fold are essentially the same. The Galaxy Z Fold 7's ultrawide camera produces solid images, but Samsung has a tendency to leave in a bit more noise than the Pixels. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s ultrawide can also suffer from inconsistent white balance, which can be a problem.
Portrait Mode
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 really takes the lead when it comes to portrait mode. It does an incredible job of handling those tricky details like flyaway hairs. Samsung’s portrait mode creates a much more natural-looking bokeh, or background blur. The Pixel phones, on the other hand, have a harsher cutoff around the subject. This can sometimes result in a less pleasing effect where fine details like hair get blurred out completely. Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s approach just feels more polished and produces a more pleasing result.
Final Thoughts
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s camera is a slight improvement over the Pixel 9 Pro Fold due to better color reproduction and white balance. However, choosing between the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 comes down to personal preference for color, video performance and zoom. To see video samples, check out the video version of this review embedded in this post.