Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs. Google Pixel Fold – which one should you choose?

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold are two of the most powerful smartphones on the market at the time of writing. This means that if you're looking to get your hands on something high-end, it's time to reach your wallet and order the device you're looking for. But considering how both of these phones are similarly priced, it makes you wonder which device you should pick up.

The Pixel Fold is a very good phone, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the foldable to rule them all

Well, we've decided to pit the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold against each other to help you find the right foldable for you. If you're on a budget, however, I'd highly recommend looking at the Galaxy Z Flip 5, as the clamshell clamshell seems to be much more popular than its older sibling.

With that out of the way, before we begin our detailed comparison, let's take a look at the starting price of $1,799 to get you in terms of specs. Below you will find the specification sheet for both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Pixel Fold. So let's not waste time and take a look.

Inner display

I strongly believe that design has become much more important to phones than it used to be. I like the boxier design that the Galaxy S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra have to offer, but when you look at foldable phones, it's safe to say that the design you're going to get will be drastically different. When we talk about the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Pixel Fold, you're looking at drastically different design languages.

For example, Samsung's foldable brings a narrow 6.2-inch outer screen and a large 7.6-inch inner screen. On the other hand, the Pixel Fold offers a 5.8-inch screen on the outside and a 7.6-inch screen on the inside. Now, the biggest difference is that Google's foldable has a much wider outer screen, which makes it much more comfortable to use. However, that doesn't mean it's without its problems. Google's foldable, for example, has very noticeable bezels on the inside, something the Galaxy Z Fold 5 does well with barely noticeable bezels.

I would have given this win to the Pixel Fold simply because I prefer this design to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but the bezels don't appeal to me. Samsung's offering looks and feels much more refined, and it's also lighter than what Google has to offer.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold are both equipped with OLED displays, so it's safe to assume you'll get excellent color reproduction. However, it turns out that the screen on what Samsung offers goes as high as 1356 nits, while the Pixel tops out at 900 nits. Now, this might not be a big deal to many people, but considering how you're paying $1,799 for a foldable, it starts to make sense why you'd want the best in class.

The external displays are excellent on both phones and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference, to be honest. I think both screens are much more similar and that is certainly a good thing. Overall, I'd go with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. I absolutely love screens that are brighter, and while the Pixel Fold delivers, it pales in comparison when you put both phones together and take a closer look.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 5

Furthermore, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 runs Samsung's One UI, while the Pixel Fold runs, well, stock Android. Both phones are great for multitaskers, and while Samsung is more geared towards power users, Google's offering is better for those looking for a simpler experience, just like Android is known to offer.

It was a refreshing experience to use vanilla Android, but I quickly realized how I missed One UI on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and decided to pick up the device again. It's not just that One UI feels more refined, but also the fact that you're looking at a more comprehensive set of features and more ways to customize. Not to forget, the phone also supports the S Pen, although it's an optional purchase.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a standard lens of 50 megapixels. You get a 12-megapixel and a 10-megapixel device. There's also a 10-megapixel selfie camera and a 4-megapixel camera below the screen. The Google Pixel Fold, on the other hand, offers a 48-megapixel main camera, a 10.8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera, but with 5x zoom instead of the 3x offered on Samsung's offering. The front selfie camera is 9.5 megapixels, while the internal selfie camera is 8.5 megapixels.

The cameras on both phones are promising in terms of configuration, and while I thought this whole comparison was going to be one-sided, it wasn't. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers better overall color reproduction, but the Pixel Fold also does very well with consistent exposure across the entire image.

The Pixel Fold, although it has good color reproduction that is closer to the natural colors, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 manages to produce results that are vivid. If you're looking for Samsung's signature color science, it's safe to say the Fold 5 hands down takes the cake.

Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 5

Honestly, I had a feeling Samsung was going to win from the start. Not that the Pixel Fold is by any means a bad phone, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the fifth iteration in Samsung's long-running series, and while it's safe to argue that in terms of changes or innovation, the Z Fold 5 still looks the same out, but there are plenty of improvements under the hood that have made this an exceptional offering for those looking for a more refined folding experience. The Pixel Fold, on the other hand, is still good, but I'm waiting to see how the sequel turns out and what it offers.