The Google Pixel Fold (left) next to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (right)Anshel SagBefore I started testing this phone, I hoped to replace my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold as my daily driver phone. I fully committed to going full Pixel by adopting the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. Those accessories did enhance the experience (more on that below), but did not make up for the shortcomings of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is a significant improvement over the previous generation of the Pixel Fold but not quite up to the flagship standard yet. I also spent some time with Googles last-generation Pixel Fold and saw many improvements that made me think this could become my daily driver.While I did not have a chance to review the (non-folding) Pixel 9 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL, I did review the baseline Pixel 9, which I found to be a good smartphone, albeit missing some of the key features of the Pro and Pro XL. I wont repeat too much of that review here, but I will build on it as I review the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.Foldable Compromises Of The Google Pixel 9 Pro FoldI went into this experiment knowing full well that there are some compromises when it comes to foldables compromises that continue to plague the most expensive smartphone category. Off the bat, one of the biggest problems came from the camera, where the preview images simply didnt match the cameras actual output. After postprocessing, the images looked drastically different. The good news is that the final images were better than the previews; the bad news is that Google didnt solve the very basic, not to say bizarre, problem of matching the previews to the final images. Additionally, the design of the camera bump on the shell of the phone didnt follow the design of the rest of the Pixel line due to the hinge placement, plus the camera specs and user experience just werent as good as on the Pro or Pro XL models. This seems crazy when you consider that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is far and away the most expensive Pixel phone.On the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Google also got rid of the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which it uses across the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup. Thats a disappointment because Im a huge fan of these sensors for a long list of reasons, including added security, robustness in difficult environments and speed. Most ultrasonic fingerprint sensors allow you to both unlock and wake the device with a single finger press. Beyond that, the hinge design on this phone creates quite a thick bezel between the left side of the phone and the front screen when the device is closed. This does not match the thin bezel that goes around the rest of the phone, and the difference is jarring.That said, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a huge improvement on the original Pixel Fold in nearly every way and addresses the many problems that it had. I also liked that Google launched the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with the rest of the Pixel line rather than on its own and without cohesion with the rest of the product lineup as it unfortunately did with the original Pixel Fold. And one of the best features on the phone was Made You Look, which uses the outside screen and the main camera to get children to smile for photos.Testing out the Made You Look feature while shopping with my familyAnshel SagMORE FOR YOUSlim And BeautifulWhile I had many qualms about the sacrifices made to build this foldable phone, the design language mostly stayed in line with the rest of the Pixel 9 family and to its credit delivered the thinnest foldable Ive used to date. My own standard for this was mostly set by the OnePlus Open foldable, which excels in terms of design, software and camera; the Google foldable did quite well against it in the design department.The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an incredibly thin and sleek device, much thinner than its North American competition, but not quite a thin as some of its Chinese competitors such as the Honor Magic V3. However, because the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is such a niche device, there arent many protective cases available for it, and after testing it I can say that the phone is best used without a case. Thats especially true when you compare it folded up against a normal candybar phone and realize that its about the same thickness. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also very rugged; after I decided to toss the Thinborne fiber case I was testing, I accidentally dropped the phone a few times, and the damage was mostly insignificant, at least until the front screen cracked in the corner on the third or fourth drop.The internal display was completely unaffected by this, and thanks to Googles partnership with iFixit, a full guide and parts are available to get the necessary repair done for roughly $200. I loved using the inside display of this phone and used it more than Ive ever used any other foldables inner display thanks to better app support and just a better overall experience. I found myself using more app pairs and multitasking more often, for example when ordering food from a restaurant, or when checking my calendar while reading an e-mail asking me to book a meeting. These multitasking use cases kept increasing with time, and Im convinced that foldables are still very much the future of smartphones if we dont have to compromise so much on functionality.Connectivity Disappointments With The Pixel 9 Pro FoldConnectivity is where I believe Google has sacrificed the most on this device that is, where it has made too many compromises. The phones handling of both 5G and Wi-Fi was just not as good as it was on my S24 Ultra, especially in instances where signal was not that strong. Phones with good RF performance generally shine the most at the edge of the cell network where conditions are the worst, and Samsung knows good RF. Ironically, the Tensor G4 chip and the modem inside the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are both from Samsung, but the modem chosen for this device is just not up to snuff, and the Broadcom-driven Wi-Fi performed about half as fast as the S24 Ultra. In some cases, the Wi-Fi wouldnt even connect to my own network, with the phone claiming that there was no internet connection. I believe this could be an MLO bug similar to the one I encountered on Intels Wi-Fi 7 chipset, which the company is working to resolve.Poor signal handling is also a huge drain on battery life, and I believe that this was the main culprit for the Pixel 9 Pro Folds inferior battery performance. While I did not experience this with the non-folding Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold ended every day on battery-saver mode, meaning that it had less than 20% battery life remaining, and there were many times I went to bed with less than 10%. This is compared to my S24 Ultra, which would sometimes end the day well above 30% or even 50% on a lighter-use day. I know that battery life is a major factor in Googles move to the Tensor G5 for the next generation, but I really do hope that the rumors of a shift to MediaTek 5G modems are true, too. Hopefully, that will also get rid of some of the issues I had with this device when it would struggle to reattach to any cell network after losing signal or while roaming.Another big connectivity issue for this phone is that it doesnt adequately support fast charging. Granted, I have high standards for this, but the phone only charges at a peak of about 23 to 25 watts, which is about the same as Apple manages for iPhones. Meanwhile, many of Googles Android partners are delivering 100- to 200-watt charging outside the U.S. and 80 watts inside the U.S. Its worth noting that Samsung is also lagging in this regard, although it somewhat makes up for that with the battery-life advantages I discussed above. My main message to the designers of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is that, if youre going to have a device with bad battery life, at least give it good fast-charging speeds.Speaking of charging, one of this phones worst attributes was its wireless charging capability, or rather its odd implementation of wireless charging. This forced many case manufacturers to redesign their cases because of Googles decision to move the charging coil. I believe this was a consequence of the hinge design, which affected the placement of the camera and in turn forced the battery and charging coil to be moved. Google should have admitted failure when its own Pixel Stand was not compatible with this charger. Frankly, I couldnt get any stand charger to work properly, which was a drag because I use stand chargers probably 90% of the time in my home. Having to use custom mag-safe cases or flat-only chargers was a big disappointment. In fact, it was so bad essentially useless, even that I wish Google had gone the OnePlus Open route and simply not had wireless charging at all, but with fast wired charging.Pixel Buds Pro 2 And Pixel Watch 3 (45 mm)So after all of this (warranted) negativity about the phone, how were the accessories? Simply put, these devices are both great companions for a Pixel or any Android device. I especially enjoyed the larger screen on the timelessly designed Pixel Watch 3 (45mm), and I appreciate that Google even reduced the bezel size on the 41mm model by 30%. While I dont believe that cellular connectivity for smart watches is important to 99% of the population, Google is offering free connectivity for two years on the LTE version of the Pixel Watch 3.The Fitbit fitness tracking is also great, as is the six months of free premium Fitbit service, which I think is a pretty good deal. I really enjoyed the automatic walk detection, but I would say that I still have more exercises available on my Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic than I did on the Pixel Watch 3. Google also finally implemented an easy transfer method to switch from one phone to another without needing to reset the watch and set things up again.The new 45mm Pixel Watch 3 with its unique watch faceAnshel SagThe Pixel Buds Pro 2 were also a great addition because they managed to balance size, AI features and sound quality really well. While I wouldnt necessarily say these earbuds had the best automatic noise cancellation, they did pass my basic fitness test and stayed in my ears while I was working out, which most earbuds dont. The Gemini Live AI assistant capability is also very cool, but I havent found much practical use for it yet.Where Do Google Pixel Foldable Phones Go From Here?While I may seem quite critical of this device, it is only because I had such high hopes for it. I have been a fan of foldables since the first Samsung Galaxy Fold became my primary device, and Ive hoped and prayed that there would be a new foldable that would become my daily driver. I believe that Google can still continue to improve on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as it did with the original Pixel Fold, making adjustments that will yield a more competitive device.However, I simply cannot ignore that it feels like a two-horse race in the U.S. market between Google and Samsung, and as a result we simply dont have a truly competitive landscape with foldables coming from companies such as Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi or Honor. Many of these Chinese foldables deliver a flagship-level experience very much including the camera that simply doesnt force so much compromise. Besides addressing the significant connectivity issues I laid out in this piece, I would love to see Google ship the Pixel 10 Pro Fold with the same camera design and specs as the rest of the Pixel line, camera bump notwithstanding.