Ivan Mehta has reviewed the Pixel 11 Pro Fold for TechCrunch, finding it a sturdy device much like last year's model, as wide foldables and the iPhone Duo offer competition.
In his review, Mehta notes the new phone is lighter and thinner than last year's Pixel 10 Pro Fold, with a brighter display; Google claims its durability has increased by three times.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold arrives in a market where China-based companies are releasing wide foldables. Developers are rapidly updating apps to fit the iPhone Duo's unfolded screen.
The device's thickness has dropped to 5mm unfolded and 10.1mm folded, and it is 19 grams lighter. Google claims it has increased durability by three times, and the new glass-ceramic cover and glass-fibre composite back cover are there to take up impact. The hinge is strong enough that it cannot be unfolded with one hand. The reviewer found that the crease across the foldable screen remains very visible; Oppo and Honor have significantly reduced crease visibility.
Gemini updates were muted this year, but Mehta said Rambler was his favorite feature in the new Pixel lineups, letting him reply to emails and texts and take notes without using a wide keyboard.
Mehta argues the cameras are not a match for the slab Pixel 11 Pro XL, though an updated main 48-megapixel sensor captures better detail. The telephoto and ultrawide sensors are similar to those in the previous generation. New software features include Looks image presets and Magic Capture, which selects the best frames from a video.
At $1,899, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is priced identically to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and just $100 less than the iPhone Duo. The reviewer concludes it is a device for Pixel fans, noting the competition from wide-format rivals and foldables expected in Europe.
Analysis
Why this matters
- The foldable phone market is at a competitive inflection point with the arrival of the iPhone Duo and wide-format alternatives.
- Google's decision to stick with a taller screen and accept a visible crease signals its bet on durability and the Pixel ecosystem over chasing the latest trends.
- The Pixel 11 Pro Fold's price places it at the premium end of the market, meaning reader choice comes down to software ecosystem and form factor preference.
Background
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Google's third-generation foldable smartphone, following the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The foldable phone market has expanded significantly, with competitors from China and Samsung pushing wider displays and lower-weight designs. The high price of the segment puts significant pressure on Google's iteration.
What to watch
- Whether the iPhone Duo's launch drives Android app developers to optimise their apps for the foldable screen format, addressing a key weakness noted in the review.
- How sales of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold compare to the wide-format Galaxy Z Fold 8 and devices from Honor and Xiaomi in European markets.
- Whether Google addresses the visible screen crease in its next generation.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline characterises the Pixel 11 Pro Fold as a durable, iterative update facing wide-foldable competition.TechCrunch: “Google, however, stuck to its guns this year and produced a Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which is pretty much similar to last year’s foldable.”
- SupportedThe summary says the Pixel 11 Pro Fold costs the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 8.TechCrunch: “At $1,899, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is for someone who likes Pixels and wants a foldable, given it’s barely $100 less than the new iPhone Duo and the same price as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8”
- SupportedIvan Mehta reviewed the Pixel 11 Pro Fold for TechCrunch.TechCrunch: “Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Sturdy rectangle in a wide wide world.”
- SupportedMehta describes the phone as sturdy and much like last year's model.TechCrunch: “The Pixel 10 Pro Fold was already a sturdy device. With this year’s version, the company claims to have increased durability by three times.”
- SupportedThe new phone is lighter and thinner than last year's Pixel 10 Pro Fold and has a brighter display.TechCrunch: “The changes involve a lighter design, a brighter display, better wireless charging, and an updated camera sensor.”
- SupportedGoogle claims the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's durability has increased by three times.TechCrunch: “With this year’s version, the company claims to have increased durability by three times.”
- SupportedThe phone is 5mm thick unfolded, 10.1mm thick folded and 19 grams lighter than last year's model.TechCrunch: “The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is 5mm thick when unfolded (vs 5.2mm of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold) and 10.1mm thick when folded (vs 10.8 mm of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold).”
- SupportedThe hinge is strong enough that the phone cannot be unfolded with one hand.TechCrunch: “One drawback of a strong hinge is that you can’t unfold the 11 Pro Fold with one hand, and that’s by design.”
- SupportedThe reviewer says the crease remains very visible and that Oppo and Honor have significantly reduced crease visibility.TechCrunch: “Google’s foldable still has a very visible crease in an age where phone makers like Oppo and Honor have managed to reduce the visibility significantly.”
- SupportedMehta says Gemini updates were muted and Rambler was his favourite feature in the new Pixel lineups.TechCrunch: “Gemini updates this year were muted. The company built on its idea of Magic Cue to give timely suggestions in different apps. As I mentioned in my Pixel 11 Pro XL review , Rambler was my favorite feature to use in the new Pixel lineups.”
- SupportedThe updated main camera sensor is 48 megapixels and captures better detail.TechCrunch: “There is an updated main sensor, still a 48-megapixel one, that lets more light in for photos with better detail.”
- SupportedThe Pixel 11 Pro Fold costs $1,899, about $100 less than the iPhone Duo, and the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 8.TechCrunch: “At $1,899, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is for someone who likes Pixels and wants a foldable, given it’s barely $100 less than the new iPhone Duo and the same price as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8”
