A First Look at the Pixel Fold, Google’s First Foldable Smartphone

The Pixel Fold is the first foldable phone engineered by Google. I had a chance to preview this feature-packed productivity tool that is actually both a phone, and a tablet in one. In this review, I will discuss the Pixel Fold from a photographer’s perspective, its myriad of camera features, and its use as a productivity tool for creative professionals.

When closed, the Pixel Fold feels like any other smart phone, and is the thinnest foldable phone on the market today. The size, shape, and depth of the phone, even with a case attached, makes for an excellent user experience. It fits easily in a pocket, and is roughly the same thickness as my iPhone 11 in a case.

The stainless steel hinge, camera enclosure, and overall design look and feel premium, making this device an attractive addition to your gear bag. I found myself using the Pixel Fold closed quite often, because the front screen and haptics technology work well. I will also add that this is the first non-Apple smart device I have ever used, and although I initially thought it would make for a steep learning curve, I quickly was able to use the phone comfortably for everything from checking email to using my favorite apps and taking photos.

But, of course, the appeal of the Pixel Fold will be primarily in its ability to open up into a 7. 6” tablet with what Google refers to as an “immersive display. ” The phone, when opened, indeed does operate like a tablet, and offers an excellent variety of features for productivity as well as specifically for photographers.

For example, the full display can be set to “Split Screen,” which I found to be an excellent option when checking email. In this mode, the left side of the display shows the inbox as on a standard phone, and the right side displays the email that is currently selected. This makes checking and scrolling through multiple emails a much more streamlined task than on a standard smart phone.

The split screen feature can additionally be used to view any two apps or web pages you wish to view at once, making for an excellent productivity tool on the go. Although the 7. 6” screen may seem relatively small by today’s tablet standards, the Pixel Fold’s high-resolution and high-refresh-rate OLED screen makes reviewing and even editing photos possible.

If you travel and do a lot of location work, it’s easy to see how useful this smartphone can be, especially if you are like me and want to travel as light as possible but still be productive. Next, I downloaded another app I use almost every day, Canva. As a content creator, I use Canva for a variety of purposes, including creating thumbnails for my YouTube videos.

The large touch screen and excellent Canva app made it relatively easy to create and edit thumbnails. Since I often export large videos from my Macbook Pro, creating thumbnails on a second device can avoid slowdowns while my computer is processing 4K videos. The Pixel Fold has an advanced built-in camera system.

The rear cameras include a 48-megapixel wide angle camera, as well as a 10. 8-megapixel 5x optical telephoto lens, and ultra-wide angle lens. It also includes a 20x Super Res Zoom, with “remosaic” technology which Google claims will deliver a full 12-megapixel image.

Other features include 10-bit HDR video, Face Unblur and Photo Unblur, which use machine learning networks to reduce blur and noise in images, and Real Tone, which is designed to properly render darker skin tones accurately. When walking through a nature preserve with my family, I captured the below image of a flower. It wasn’t until I returned home, however, that I realized that the flower was not sharp.

The edges only were in focus, so I decided to try out one of the Pixel Fold’s editing tools. I used the Color Focus editing tool, and to my surprise, I was able to fix the focus by simply tapping on the center of the flower. This adjusted the focus so that the flower was now sharp, as shown in the before and after images below.

This is an excellent and practical feature that I can see saving the day for kid photos, vacations, and much more. After using the Pixel Fold for a few weeks, I have found a lot to love about this innovative and thoughtfully designed smartphone. And, this first look review only scratches the surface of this feature packed device.

As a tool for photographers, it will have definite appeal, and more importantly, its form and function as a phone has not been sacrificed in order to accommodate the folding screen. Regarding the folding screen, there are a some important details that potential buyers should be aware of. First, when the phone is open, the seam between the screens can be seen, although it is less noticeable in situations where there is not a lot of glare.

I did not find it distracting while working on the phone, but of course it would be preferred to have no visible seam. Second, the foldable screen is going to be more delicate than a traditional smartphone screen, so we will have to wait to know the long-term durability of the folding screen. On a positive note, the outer screen and closed design feel just as robust as any other phone on the market.

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, potential buyers should know that a Pixel Fold starts at $1,799 for a 256 GB model. Pete Coco is a portrait photographer and musician based in New York. When not performing as a jazz bassist, Pete can be found in his studio working with a wide range of clients, although is passion is creating unique portraits of other musicians and artists.

.