Did the Galaxy Z Fold 7 Leave the Door Open to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold?
Samsung has just officially announced the Galaxy Z Fold 7, its latest flagship foldable. The new device brings a number of significant upgrades to the table, including a stunningly thin and light chassis, a larger main display and cover screen, and a massive jump to a 200MP main camera. However, while the Z Fold 7 undeniably pushes the envelope in hardware, it comes with a few catches… These compromises, alongside the phone's continued lack of a proper dust resistance rating, open the door for a competitor to take advantage and Google's upcoming Pixel 10 Pro Fold could be that device.
Price: A Clear Competitive Edge
The most significant factor placing the Pixel 10 Pro Fold in an advantageous position is its rumored price. While Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a starting price of $1,999.99, reports suggest Google's device could launch at a much lower $1,599. If achieved, this $400 difference would be a truly massive advantage for Google.
One caveat I’ll give here is that the source of this rumor has ran quite a few news stories lately that have ended up being very wrong, so we need to take this with a pinch of salt. I think a more reasonable scenario is that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold launches the same $1799 as last year. Even at that price, we’re still talking about a $200 difference that customers might still find significant.
UPDATE: A new post from Roland Quandt on Bluesky indicates that the price of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is likely staying the same as last year.
Features: Durability Versus Performance
Beyond the price, a feature-by-feature comparison highlights the distinct strategies of each company.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7:
Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.
Design: A new thinner and lighter build, 4.2mm and 215g.
Display: Larger 8.0-inch main display and a 6.5-inch cover screen, both at 2,600 nits peak brightness.
Camera: A powerful 200MP 1/1.3" main camera with a larger ultrawide and the same 3x tele.
Durability: Features an IP48 water resistance rating.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Rumored):
Processor: Tensor G5.
Design: Rumors point to a slimmer hinge design with thickness staying near the same 5.1mm as last year and weight needing a reduction from last years 257g.
Display: An 8-inch inner screen at 1850 nits and a 6.3-inch cover screen at 2050 nits.
Camera: The same 50MP 1/2.0" main camera as the Pixel 9a alongside the same tele and ultrawide.
Durability: Rumored IP68 rating.
Historically, one of Samsung's biggest advantages have been their many exclusive features. Now, with the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the company has removed S Pen support from its flagship foldable in the pursuit of a thinner design. At the same time, another of its long-standing exclusives, the DeX desktop experience, is on the road to being matched. Google is actively developing a native "Desktop View" within Android 16 QPR1 betas, a feature that provides a persistent taskbar and resizable windows to Pixel phones when connected to an external display. These developments signal a shift in the foldable market, as two of Samsung's key advantages are now either gone or facing direct competition.
Is Cheaper Enough?
Despite these potential advantages, a crucial question remains for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. While it's expected to be a more affordable device with a new, faster Tensor G5 chip and a usable desktop mode coming soon, early rumors suggest the hardware is largely unchanged from its predecessor. Google’s strategy of using "just okay" camera hardware that is heavily reliant on on heavy use of computational photography will continue. The Pixel won’t have a single sensor in the same category as Samsung’s 1/1.3 200mp primary.
On the software front, I have long been a loud advocate for the Pixel approach. I genuinely love the new look of Material 3 Expressive and some of the more recent changes. That being said, Samsung’s software suite, in particular on their foldable, is on another level when it comes to sheer number of features. Samsung is still essentially the only one giving users independent inner and outer launcher layouts. You’ve got stackable widgets, enlarged folders, a robust Routines option and customization through Good Lock. Features Google is working on for Android in general are already running on the Z Fold like Live Updates in the form of Samsung’s Now Bar. Hell, Pixels still can’t run more than two apps in split screen at once.
Yes, the Pixel will be cheaper and yes, it’ll be an excellent phone. The question is whether or not it’ll be genuinely better for most consumers or if that price gap can make up the difference.