The buzz for 2026, though, is that it's coming back with signs that Samsung is considering the 'wide' folding phone - and possibly even Apple too, later this year. Back in 2023, Google got it right, it seems, with this form factor. Everyone else ignored them, ending up with Google abandoning the idea and following the herd with the taller, squarer (when open) format that most others were churning out.
The original Pixel Fold is different - more like something Huawei is tinkering with in amongst its Pura line of devices. It's often dubbed the 'passport' size as it resembles just that - the standard size of a passport. Open yours up and see. When open, it's 'landscape', so wider than it is tall. Other 'book-style' folding phones are not like that at all - they are more like a square when open. And when closed, again, it has a ratio like a passport - wider than the average monoblock phone (and other book-style folding phones) and less tall.
Stubby, I guess, is the word. One-handed use is terrific, as I can certainly reach any part of the screen - even the far corners - and because it's wider, the keyboard is wider too, making for a much more comfortable typing experience even before you open it up. When you do open it up, you're presented with a working space that is much more like a computer monitor, tablet or TV screen - so consuming media and surfing webpages is easy-peasy and familiar to the brain. And there is the advantage, for those who want or need it, of opening up two apps side-by-side without either feeling cramped (or any worse than a monoblock phone experience).
It was a stroke of genius, really, but as is often the case with Google, stuff gets abandoned. Now, three years on, others are jumping back on it (and no doubt at least one of them will claim to have invented it)! A quick mention here for Microsoft too, with their Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 - similarly abandoned, similar form factor (again, which we've had various examples of flying around PSC over the years). It's different in that it has two separate screens (apart from anything else) and it's not quite the passport size of the Pixel Fold - rather taller and wider, both closed and open.
So, I think that's pretty much rounded up the background of how we got to here, mid-2026, in relation to these devices and particularly the Pixel Fold. It's a beautifully made device - my unit is in perfect condition, hasn't been used that much, screen crease perfectly intact, no knocks and bumps - one day, no doubt, if I keep it that way, a collector's item!
It's got Gorilla Glass Victus on the outside, front and back, a super-sturdy stainless steel hinge, and a body of high-strength aluminium. It uses a fluid friction system which allows for opening and holding at virtually any angle. The only real complaint about this is that, unless 'encouraged' with pressure, it doesn't quite open 'flat' at 180 degrees - rather, probably 179! But if you really want to, you can gently press it that last degree and it will stay there.
It feels really sturdy too, with beautifully designed curves around the edges for easy opening with fingers. They're rounded and lovely and smooth because of the metal frame. It feels 'cold' in the hand, too (if you don't case it), with all that metal - it really does feel like a class act, a premium experience all-round and an object of desire compared to the world of plastic-fantastic! There was a price for this, of course - in June 2023, on release, the 256GB version cost £1,749 and the 512GB unit was £1,869 - so you'd expect it to be well-built! The good news is that you can now pick up a good-condition second-hand unit (maybe not as pristine as mine, though) for certainly under £500, not far away from a quarter of the release price. If you can find one.
The tech specs on that outside screen are as follows: 139.7mm high x 79.5mm wide and, of course, a thickish 12.1mm fat! That's the trade-off. The two sides of this when clamped together are nothing like the thinness of 2026 book-style folders. Things have indeed moved on, and recent units coming out of the Far East are marvels of engineering with multiple silicon-carbon batteries too. So yes, it's a chunky monkey, as they say! But I'm OK with that. It has some heft - weight (283g in fact) - and you certainly know that it's in your front jeans pocket! But I'm OK with that too because, due to all the above, it sits very comfortably in the hand when closed, and I'm not alone in reporting that this is how I use the phone probably 90% of the time.
There's a SIM card tray on the bottom leading edge which will take one physical card on my unit, but the phone does have eSIM support - all this for 5G, of course. Then there are microphones and antenna cut-outs around the frame, a speaker at each end (smartly designed - which we'll come to), a USB-C port, and a power button on the side which doubles as a capacitive fingerprint scanner above a volume rocker. Up top, there's that mmWave long-pill for America, as all units were built the same, it seems. The buttons feel very sturdy with no "play" or suggestion that they might not stay the course.
As you can see, the camera island runs across centrally - when the phone is closed, of course. The positioning of that, unlike the vast majority of other phones out there - including Google's more recent Fold phones (D'oh!) - allows the phone to be placed on a flat surface without wobbling. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but it seems phone OEMs think differently - perhaps assuming that all-encompassing cases will fix that (which they generally don't), or that nobody wants to do this with their phone. Bizarre. Anyway, this does - and slightly props up the top end with a gentle slope for a nice viewing angle. Underneath that skin is a flat piece of glass, as mentioned earlier, with a Google "G" in the middle. Smooth, classy, slippery and yes, vulnerable. Don't do it!
Right - let's open it up! The inside screen is 7.6" in, as I say, landscape orientation, Still an OLED, but a kind of plastic one (so that it can fold). It refreshes at 120Hz if you want it to, again with some applications and peaks out at 1,450 nits in auto mode. The pixel layout is 1840 x 2208, returning a ppi of 378. The overall dimensions, when open, are 139.7mm high x 158.7mm wide and now, opened up, very thin at 5.8mm. There is, of course, a crease down the middle but honestly, even though newer screens that fold for 2026 devices have become all but 'invisible', I really don't consider this to be a problem. Yes, the finger can feel the hinge-ridge as it rolls over it and yes, if you hold the phone reflecting light at the right angle you can see it (and it looks significant if you do), but looking straight at it (as most people will, for most uses), you really don't see it.
Some people have had screen problems - early adopters who have used it day-in, day-out as their primary device, opening and closing it many, many times - but people like me who, as I said, are using the outside panel 90% of the time really produce minimal reports of problems, peeling, breakages or the like. Of course, you'll always find instances if you scour Reddit and the like for horror stories, but I contend that most are good. This one certainly is - though I don't know if the previous owner used it my way or the opposite, so it will remain a mystery!
There are also big bezels around the edges, which I'm OK with. It gives the fingers somewhere to hold it while not touching the screen. It seems to be the modern trend to have as little bezel as engineeringly possible, but there are pros and cons. There's a camera in the top-right serving as a selfie camera within that bezel, so not cutting into the display. When you close the phone up, it comes together with a reassuring 'clunk' (if you let it). So, that's about it for my observations on the physicality of the device. It feels and looks premium and, with that aforementioned heft, reassuringly solid and robust. I would suggest only opening it up in controlled environments to maximise the life expectancy, because I think you'll find the same as me - most of what you want to do can be done on that fabulously sized and shaped outside screen.
The Pixel Fold runs on a Google Tensor G2 (5nm) chipset. That feels a little aged now, and when I compare the operating speed against my Pixel 9, it's clear that the latter is ahead in terms of processing power with its Tensor G4 (4nm) two generations further on. But for me, and my use, apart from comparing the two in front of me running the same task and seeing that one is faster, in isolation, it really matters not if the Fold takes (usually) fractions of a second longer to open an app or download some data. When accessing Google's Circle to Search, Gemini app and other AI tools, I don't feel that there's any slowdown. Talking of which, there are some Pixel 9 exclusives missing on the Fold - like the Journal app and Pixel Screenshots - but not many. Gaming is not really my thing, but I have tested it with a fairly demanding car-racing game and all seems well. I detect no juddering or buffering and the phone doesn't seem to get hot. It's got the same 12GB of RAM to keep apps open in the background long enough and, away from the test bench, I really don't think people will see an issue.
I get a lot of phones through my hands here, and I consider the sound from the Pixel Fold to be the best I've ever heard. My recently reviewed Motorola Signature comes close, but for me, the Fold holds the crown. Now, to be fair, I have not had every phone ever made through my hands, and Steve Litchfield does tell me that recent 'Max' iPhones are mighty impressive (with bass-octave shifting employed), but I've not heard that with my own ears, so I can't compare. I find the sound to be of very, very good quality here and mighty loud enough as tested with various apps, streaming services and high-res audio files I have available locally. Incidentally, you can check out Steve's coverage of the Pixel Fold in terms of YouTube Shorts (whilst distracted by the Microsoft Surface Duo!) over on his index in his Blog.
There's no 3.5mm audio-out port, of course, but Bluetooth v5.2 sounds fabulous - and for legacy ear/headphones, one can always use a dongle. Put one in your wallet/purse - assuming you still use one of those! I've tested all sorts of Bluetooth devices, speakers and headphones over the (now) years that I've had this phone - and as we have come to expect, the forward march of Bluetooth capability really is amazing. Here, also, it seems to have a good range and holds on well - though of course, your mileage may vary depending on the quality of the gear in use. Connectivity generally is very good, I have found over time. The 5G for voice and data works really well, with no drop-outs as a result of the phone; GPS locks me onto mapping and other apps that rely on it quickly and holds on well too. Wi-Fi 6e tested with half a dozen networks over time and, again, finds, locks and holds on well for good data (and voice with VoIP engaged). NFC works efficiently as I go about my business of paying in Tesco and also attaching other equipment that the system relies on. No complaints with all this connectivity stuff at all.
There's 256GB of storage on this unit, as I say, which I have always felt is enough - but if you get the chance of a 512GB version, more is always better, and I doubt it would cost that much more now. The trick would probably be finding one. I think fewer people actually bought the 512GB version anyway - some markets weren't even offered it - so yes, it might be a hunt! But for me, yes, and I didn't think I'd say this five years ago, but I do mostly stream stuff these days, and I have fabulous Wi-Fi and 5G where I live - and don't go many places! But yes, if you're a roving type, your mileage may vary again and you might rely on more storage. It's UFS 3.1, which seems to read/write very quickly in my tests.
The USB-C port is v3.2 and it is, of course, OTG, but sadly there's no HDMI-out/DisplayPort capability, which means we lose out here on cabling up for Google's evolving/growing Desktop Mode (I shall have to use my Pixel 9 for that). Having said that, I'm not so sure that people really want that. DeX remains (though their PC software doesn't) and Motorola are going great guns with their Smart Connect (PC too), but I do wonder how many people beyond reviewers are using this. Especially when wireless connectivity is now so good with casting all over the place - in my tests, latency with casting video is at an all-time low; you'd hardly know that you aren't cabled up, to be honest.
The battery in the phone is a lithium-polymer unit rated at 4,821mAh. As the industry seems to be running away with battery sizes (out of the Far East) with the use of silicon-carbon, this does seem, in comparison, rather small. But actually, I don't find it so. I find that the phone lasts me a good day, with my average use, with 40–50% to spare. Of course, your mileage will vary because we all use our phones differently. As I have said, much of my use is on the outside screen, but actually, on testing, it does feel like even with the phone opened up, it performs not far off the same. It's a good battery and defies its size/capacity. There's also Qi wireless charging, but bear in mind that this is capped at 7.5W, so yes, very slow by today's standards. But on my cradle-charger by my bed, overnight - say seven hours - it has never failed to get me back up to 100% when I wake. I don't have any adaptive/saver modes on, for the record. Wired charging for those who need/use it is capped at 21W - so again, slow for 2026, but about an hour and a half or so will do it from a standing start. I guess that for most people this is OK, but there will be those heavy users who will want to carry a power bank and/or not be too far from a charging port.
I'm running the Android 17 QPR1 Beta 1 on my phone, so any references here to software will be based on that. Some of the features, if using the standard, official Android 16 stable build, may not be present - and may or may not make it to Android 17 stable. So, bear that in mind! I really like what Google have done with Material 3 Expressive. Some say that it's very Apple-like in many respects, but I don't see that. I dislike Apple's iPhone UI with a vengeance, but not what Pixel's Android has become. I can see where there is crossover and design-blending to some degree, but it feels to me like that's more in hardware design (flat rails and screens) on some monoblock models than this Pixel Fold. I'm sure that could be argued either way.
I like how At a Glance now works with a background available (and even the option to turn the thing off completely if wanted). When I knew this was coming, I was convinced that I would turn it off, but actually, the background behind the row makes a huge difference - so much so that I keep it on. I'm not even too bothered by the ever-present Search Bar at the foot of the screen. I probably would remove that if I could, but it's OK for now. Not for me, but I see how interesting for some the new Theme Packs might be, to jazz up the home screen along with colours, contrast and even now different icon sizes, shapes and designs.
Home screens are laid out on the outside screen in the traditional Android way. Google's Discover feed to the left (if you want it), then pages 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. If you use Pixel's launcher, these pages are replicated inside, exactly the same - with page 1 on the left and 2 on the right, then swipe left for page 3 on the left and 4 on the right on the 'next' pair of pages. It's all tied up together, as is font/display size, and can't be controlled independently. Sometimes I'm OK with this; other times I want more granular control, so I employ Octopi Launcher. This gives that - and oodles more. Completely different layouts for portrait, landscape, inside screen, outside screen - everything being considered independently. As you can imagine, it does take time to set up four different layouts, but once there, control is fine and independence rife. So, for tinkerers, this is my suggestion - though I'm sure there are plenty of options out there.
There are also multiple ways in which the phone can be used physically. In 'laptop' mode, you can use just the top half of the screen for one app and the bottom for another with split-screen. Or, in the likes of YouTube, run the video in the top half facing you and have the media controls 'on the flat' (the bottom half of the screen). Some apps are better coded than others to make use of this, so your mileage may vary. Then there's 'tent mode', as mentioned earlier, where you can make an inverted "V" of the device with the outside screen facing you, rolling screen-filling media. So, a small self-propped TV, effectively. Or leave it in that shape but turn it around so that the back of the phone is on a surface and the outside screen is looking back at you. Or open it up and turn it around for a slightly portrait orientation, which is great for surfing webpages. Or just roll the media content across the middle of the screen to maximise the size (clearly with black bars top and bottom to avoid stretching the video). There are so many ways to consume media and use the phone. A flexible feat - and I'm only just scraping the surface of possibilities here. It really is your Flexible Friend!
Then we have the oodles of ways in which Google's apps and services make their way into (particularly) Pixel devices (though many are universal across Android and beyond, of course). Adaptive brightness, sound, battery and more; Digital Wellbeing, safety and emergency options, security and passkeys support, storage control and options - almost everything under the bonnet has been reworked and more added, which would need a much deeper dive than this to pull apart! Discovery is the key, and learning what will work for you - or not. For example, just one of these I discovered delays notification alerts: adaptive battery! No thanks! You also have to be careful to check because some of these things are on by default, leaving the user scratching their head trying to work out why some knock-on impact has kicked in. Or not! Anyway, this is more about Android rather than this folding phone from 2023, so I shall leave all that and backtrack!
Video performance on the OG Fold has aged gracefully, supporting 4K at 60fps and 10-bit HDR, which ensures that your home movies still look vibrant on modern displays. The selfie situation is where things get interesting - you have an 8MP f/2 inner camera and a 9.5MP f/2.2 camera outside, but the real secret weapon is the foldable design. By unfolding the phone and using the cover screen as a viewfinder, you can use that 48MP main sensor for selfies. In 2026, this Rear Camera Selfie mode still produces better results than almost any dedicated front-facing camera on the market, offering the kind of skin tones and detail that only a 'real' sensor can provide.
The real reason these cameras still feel relevant isn't the glass - it's the Google Tensor G2 and the years of software tuning that followed. Features like Laser AF (autofocus) and Dual Pixel PDAF ensure that the phone still snaps onto subjects quickly, while Google’s Night Sight has only become more efficient. Even if you aren't a photographer, you’ll appreciate how the OIS keeps your shaky-hand snaps clear. It’s a reliable, no-fuss system. It won't win a photography award in 2026, but it consistently delivers a sharp, well-exposed 12MP image (via pixel binning) that looks great in a digital gallery or on social media.
The original Pixel Fold is the rare piece of technology that feels more 'right' three years later than it did at launch, frankly! In a 2026 market saturated with tall, narrow monoblock foldables, the Fold’s passport form factor stands out as a triumph of ergonomic common sense. Its stubby, wide outer screen remains the gold standard for one-handed usability, while the landscape-first inner display offers a natural, tablet-like canvas that modern competitors are only now starting to replicate.
While the Tensor G2 and the chunky 283g chassis show their age against today’s featherweight, AI-optimised silicon-carbon wonders, the experience hasn't soured. Thanks to Google’s extended support, this device remains a software contemporary, running the latest Android builds with a level of fluidity that belies its 2023 origins. The cameras, though modest in raw specs, still deliver that reliable Pixel look through computational magic, and the speakers remain arguably the best in the business!
At a 2026 second-hand price of under £500, the OG Pixel Fold has transitioned from an experimental luxury to an incredible value proposition. It’s a beautifully built, premium object of desire that rewards those who treat it with care. If you can find a pristine unit, it’s more than just a functional tool - it’s a reminder that Google actually got it right the first time. For the Phones Show Chat crowd and enthusiasts alike, it remains a quintessential classic that’s still very much a daily-driver contender.
