The finest broad foldable isn’t the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or iPhone Duo when this $500 telephone exists
Wide foldables are surging in reputation thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Duo. While folding telephones with a squarish kind issue have by no means garnered broad enchantment, informal customers are beginning to see the good thing about carrying a brief and stout foldable of their pocket. When shut, they’re quick units which can be straightforward to maneuver. Open them up, and so they’re multipurpose units excellent for video playback in panorama mode or productiveness in portrait mode.
The value of foldables remains to be the primary barrier to entry for most individuals. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 prices $1,899, whereas the iPhone Duo prices $1,999. One of these choices may be one of the best broad foldable cash should buy, however it is not one of the best worth. The latter title belongs to the semi-wide foldable that began all of it: the original Google Pixel Fold. It runs Android 17 and prices underneath $500 in 2026, making it the proper broad foldable for folks within the section for the primary time.
The unique Pixel Fold is a hybrid
It’s not as broad because the Fold 8, however not as sq. because the Ultra
Right off the bat, it is necessary to notice that the unique Google Pixel Fold is just not almost as broad because the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or the iPhone Duo. Currently, the U.S. foldable market options two major kind elements for many who need massive screens. You have tall foldables such because the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Motorola Razr Fold, or Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold that unfold to a virtually sq. facet ratio. The short-and-wide Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo are within the different class, and the first-generation Pixel Fold falls someplace within the center.
For these solely shopping for a foldable to look at widescreen video, the Pixel Fold’s facet ratio is a downgrade in comparison with the newer broad foldables. However, it has key perks that make it a strong various to each broad and sq. foldables. The Pixel Fold’s 5.8-inch cowl display screen is bigger than the one you may discover on each the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Duo. It sports activities a taller facet ratio, making the outer show much less compromising — it is simpler and extra acquainted to make use of for fundamental smartphone duties.
In the picture above, you may see how the Pixel Fold compares to plain Pixel and Galaxy foldables. It’s shorter, however the cowl display screen remains to be usable with one hand. You nonetheless get lots of the advantages of the broader folding show. The unique Pixel Fold can match extra widescreen video content material on its foldable display screen than the brand-new Pixel 11 Pro Fold, due to the extra forgiving facet ratio. It’s a 7.6-inch folding show, the identical measurement because the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo.
As a Galaxy Z Fold 8 consumer and Pixel Fold tester, I can affirm that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 does match extra widescreen video on its interior display screen. The identical shall be true of the iPhone Duo. That being stated, there are apps that do not run properly on both Galaxy Z Fold 8 display screen as a result of odd facet ratios. As that is Apple’s first foldable, apps that are not optimized for the iOS 27.1 SDK might not run correctly on the iPhone Duo’s shows at launch.
With the Pixel Fold splitting the center between the 2 fashionable kind elements, it is a extra versatile foldable.
The Pixel Fold shines in portrait mode
This is my favourite means to make use of broad foldables just like the Fold 8
With square-shaped foldables, rotating the machine whereas it is unfolded barely makes a distinction. Wide foldables can be utilized like a small pill whenever you open them up — the display screen shapes are much like an iPad Mini, however smaller. This means you get a real portrait mode, and that is how I’ve discovered myself utilizing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 most frequently. The cowl display screen is not perfect for apps that require vertical house, reminiscent of social media or studying apps.
Meanwhile, the folding shows aboard broad foldables are glorious for scrolling, studying, and note-taking. Phones just like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold cannot be utilized in the identical means, as a result of their show is squarish no matter their orientation. Crucially, the Pixel Fold’s facet ratio additionally accommodates distinctive portrait and panorama viewing modes.
By the numbers, the Pixel Fold has a 6:5 interior display screen facet ratio. That’s not as broad because the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s 4:3 facet ratio or the iPhone Duo’s 1.41:1 facet ratio. But as I’ve already talked about, the center floor permits the Pixel Fold to ship lots of the perks provided by broad foldables with out a few of the drawbacks.
The unique Pixel Fold remains to be receiving software program updates, and it runs Android 17. You get all the most recent Android multitasking options on the Pixel Fold, together with the helpful 90:10 split-screen views. These assist you to soar between two apps rapidly whereas viewing the first app at almost full measurement. Android 17 particularly introduced app bubbles to Pixel phones, and on foldables just like the Pixel Fold, they stay conveniently within the Taskbar.
You can use as much as 5 apps in floating home windows above a split-screen pair for unbelievable multitasking workflows, which is one thing the iPhone Duo cannot do.
Who the Pixel Fold is (and is not) for
This is an impressive second telephone for the curious
The Pixel Fold is much from good, and its {hardware} is a far cry from what you’d get from a Galaxy Z Fold 8 or iPhone Duo. It’s very heavy, it is not as sturdy, and it is powered by a weak Tensor G2 chip. But the Pixel Fold can also be obtainable in refurbished situation for roughly 1 / 4 of the worth of these new telephones. It’s straightforward to just accept these compromises whenever you’re saving as a lot as $1,550 in comparison with shopping for new. The worth proposition cannot be beat.
Who should purchase the Pixel Fold in 2026? To me, the reply is obvious: somebody who desires a large foldable as a second telephone. It’s not a coincidence that Apple launched iPhone Handoff — a characteristic that routinely strikes an lively mobile connection between two iPhones — proper earlier than the iPhone Duo’s launch. Apple thinks that consumers will desire a “regular” telephone and a large foldable, and it is in all probability proper. It’s simpler to justify a $500 secondary telephone than a $2,000 one.
Should you belief renewed and refurbished telephones? Refurbished telephones usually undergo extra checks than the common used machine, and are normally backed by an extended guarantee or return window. However, what “refurbished” means can fluctuate from website to website. Check out our complete guide to buying refurbished earlier than selecting out a renewed or refurbished telephone.
People interested in broad foldables, however who’re nonetheless hesitant, also needs to take into account the Pixel Fold. At about half the worth of a standard flagship, shopping for a refurbished Pixel Fold is low threat. You can strive one out throughout the return interval, in fact. And in the event you determine to maintain it, you may get to stay with a large foldable for an prolonged interval earlier than investing hundreds of {dollars} in a brand-new one.
I purchased a Galaxy Z Fold 8 with my very own money, and heck, I’d simply seize an iPhone Duo too. I do know higher than anybody how good the expertise of shopping for a 2026 foldable might be. But after testing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 alongside the Pixel Fold, I additionally know the best-value broad foldable is Google’s unique mannequin from 2023.
- SoC
-
Google Tensor G2
- Display
-
5.8-inch cowl show, 7.6-inch major show
- Operating System
-
Upgradeable to Android 16
The Google Pixel Fold is a folding telephone powered by the Tensor G2 chip with a large facet ratio. It’s upgradeable to Android 17 and is accessible for round $500 in 2026 just a few years post-release.
