With the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 and recently launched Pixel Fold, Samsung and Google are both trying to combine the phone and tablet experience. But that convenience comes at a sky-high price of $1,800, which is more expensive than buying a phone and a tablet separately in most situations.
Despite their similarities in price and shape, Samsung and Google’s approaches differ slightly. Samsung has given the Z Fold 5 a skinnier cover display that’s easier to use with one hand but feels less like a regular phone when closed. Google’s Pixel Fold has a wider cover screen that makes apps look more natural, but the internal tablet-size screen didn’t look as immersive or bright as Samsung’s in my testing.
Otherwise, both devices run on the same new processors found in other premium phones in each company’s lineup. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has the same custom Qualcomm chip as the Galaxy S23 series, while the Pixel Fold has the Pixel 7 family’s Tensor G2 processor. The cameras on each phone are a step down from those found on Galaxy S23 Ultra or Pixel 7 Pro, but still fall into what’s typically expected of a high-end phone.
Since they both cost the same, the biggest factor to consider when deciding between the two comes down to display preferences. If you’d rather have a wider cover screen and a design that feels more like a notebook when closed, the Pixel Fold might be the better choice. Although I haven’t tested the Galaxy Z Fold 5 extensively yet, the Galaxy Z Fold 4‘s internal screen looked sleeker and more enveloping than the Pixel Fold’s, thanks to its slimmer borders.
We’ll have more advice once we’ve had a chance to review the Galaxy Z Fold 5. But in the meantime, check out the table below to see how the two phones compare on paper.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs vs. Google Pixel Fold