Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold Review: Why Its Upgrades Feel Underwhelming

Google has launched the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and I was immediately curious to see how it would compare with Samsung's latest foldables. After spending time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra, I wanted to see whether Google had finally created a foldable that could genuinely challenge Samsung's more mature approach.

There are some meaningful improvements this year, particularly to the design. But the more closely I look at the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the harder it is to see a compelling reason to upgrade, especially when Samsung and Motorola are pushing the category forward in other areas.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is thinner and lighter

Google has made the Pixel 11 Pro Fold noticeably easier to carry. The new model is 19 grams lighter than its predecessor, which matters more on a large book-style foldable than it might on a regular smartphone.

The phone is also slimmer, measuring 5mm when unfolded and 10.1mm when folded. That is a reduction of 0.2mm and 0.7mm respectively compared with last year's model.

Those are welcome changes, particularly for a phone that spends so much time being carried and constantly opened and closed. The problem is that Google does not seem to have made equally meaningful improvements in the areas that matter most after you put the phone in your pocket.

The smaller battery is hard to ignore

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold now has a 4,750mAh battery, down from 5,015mAh in the previous generation. That feels like an odd direction for a foldable, where two displays can place considerably more demand on the battery.

Charging does not make the situation much better. Google has kept 30W wired charging, which can deliver roughly half a charge in 30 minutes.

That might be acceptable on a phone with excellent endurance, but Samsung and other competitors are improving both battery technology and charging speeds. On a nearly $2,000 foldable, I would prefer a battery upgrade or significantly faster charging rather than a smaller cell.

Tensor G6 still has something to prove

The new Tensor G6 should naturally be faster than the previous generation, and that is certainly welcome. Google has also designed Tensor around AI features, photography, and software optimization, which remain important parts of the Pixel identity.

My bigger concern is long-term performance. Previous Tensor-powered Pixels have had issues with sustained performance and heat, so I would need extended time with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold before deciding whether the new chip truly changes that experience.

Google may have solved those problems with Tensor G6. If it has, that would make a meaningful difference, but the hardware alone does not immediately convince me.

Samsung and Motorola are making the competition tougher

Samsung's latest foldables show what happens when a company keeps refining the same category year after year. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra now feel much more mature, with improvements that add up across design, battery, charging, and everyday usability.

Motorola is pushing from another direction. Its Razr Fold combines a thin and lightweight design with features such as stylus support, while its camera system and 6,000mAh battery make a strong case for a more ambitious foldable.

Google still has an important advantage in photography, and Pixel software remains a major part of its appeal. But when the comparison expands beyond cameras, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold does not stand out as clearly.

The price makes the compromises harder to accept

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1,899, which is $100 more than its predecessor. Rising memory and component costs can explain why smartphone prices are increasing, but buyers still have to decide whether the additional cost brings enough in return.

Here, the equation feels difficult. You are paying more for a phone that is thinner and lighter, but it also has a smaller battery, unchanged charging speeds, and cameras that have not seen the kind of major overhaul some buyers might expect.

At this price, small refinements are harder to appreciate when competitors are offering more substantial hardware changes.

Moving content to a foldable should be simple

A new foldable also means moving years of photos, videos, contacts, and other personal files from your current phone. That process can become frustrating when you are switching devices and trying to work out which files actually need to come along.

Smart Transfer can help make that transition a simple transfer rather than a long manual process. It can be useful for moving personal content to a new Android phone, while an Android file transfer workflow can help when you only need to move selected folders, photos, or documents.

For smaller tasks, an app share option can also be useful when you want to send individual files or content without migrating your entire phone. Cleaning up old downloads, duplicate photos, and unused files before the move can make the new foldable feel much less cluttered from day one.

Google may need to rethink its foldable strategy

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is not a bad foldable. In fact, its thinner design, lighter weight, camera capabilities, and Pixel software make it easy to appreciate in isolation.

The problem is the competition has moved forward quickly, and Google is asking buyers to pay more without delivering a similarly dramatic hardware upgrade. If this were a less crowded category, the compromises might be easier to overlook.

At this point, I would rather see Google slow down, rethink what it wants its foldables to accomplish, and return with something genuinely ambitious. The Pixel Fold does not need to disappear. It needs a reason to exist beyond being another annual update.