Galaxy Fold 5 vs Pixel Fold: Which Foldable is Worth Your Money? [2025]

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold create an $1,799 dilemma for foldable phone enthusiasts in 2025. These premium foldables hit the market last year, with Google's release in June followed by Samsung's in August.

Both devices share a 7.6-inch inner display but offer substantially different experiences at the same price point. The Pixel Fold's battery capacity stands at 4,821 mAh, which outmatches the Galaxy's 4,400 mAh power unit. Samsung's device has a weight advantage at 253 grams while the Pixel weighs in at 283 grams. The performance gap between these devices is clear - the Galaxy Z Fold 5's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor achieves 1,995 in single-core tests, while the Pixel Fold's Tensor G2 chip reaches 1,390. The Galaxy Z Fold 5's S Pen support gives it an edge, though the Pixel Fold fights back with a superior 5x optical zoom camera that beats Samsung's 3x offering.

Design and Build Quality: Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Fold 5

The Google Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5 take completely different paths to foldable design. These two devices show their unique character when placed next to each other. Let's get into how these premium foldables compare in build quality and practical design.

Dimensions and Weight: Slim vs Light

The Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5 couldn't be more different in their physical size. Google's Pixel Fold sits at 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 inches when folded and stretches to 5.5 x 6.2 x 0.2 inches unfolded. Samsung's Z Fold 5 reaches higher at 6.1 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches folded and 6.1 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches unfolded.

These size differences create two distinct experiences. The Pixel Fold's wider 5.8-inch cover screen feels just like a regular smartphone, making apps look right at home. The Z Fold 5's taller and narrower 6.2-inch external display can feel a bit tight for typing, but fits better in one hand while the wider Pixel Fold makes you stretch your fingers uncomfortably.

Samsung's Z Fold 5 weighs less at 8.92 ounces (253g) compared to the Pixel Fold's 10.0 ounces (283g). This 30g difference feels real during long usage sessions. The Pixel Fold's camera bar throws off the weight balance, making it awkward to hold.

Hinge Durability: Samsung's Flex Hinge vs Google's First Attempt

Samsung's years of foldable experience shine through the Z Fold 5's Flex Hinge. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 opens with less effort than the Pixel Fold and stays put at any angle. Both hinges should last about 200,000 folds – about five years of regular use.

JerryRigEverything's durability tests cast doubt on Google's claim of having "the most durable hinge on a foldable." The Pixel Fold's hinge snapped during backward bend tests, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 held strong through similar testing. This points to Samsung's superior hinge design.

Both phones now close completely flat – a first for Samsung's Z Fold lineup. This improvement keeps dust and debris away from sensitive internal parts. The Z Fold 5's screen crease remains more visible though.

Water Resistance: IPX8 Ratings Compared

The Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5 share similar IPX8 water resistance ratings. They can handle being underwater at 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. Rain, spills, or quick dunks won't damage either phone.

Neither phone protects against dust - that's what the "X" means in their IPX8 ratings. Dust particles pose the biggest risk to their folding mechanisms.

Samsung gives the Z Fold 5 extra protection with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both external panels. The Pixel Fold uses the original Gorilla Glass Victus. Both phones use aluminum frames, though Samsung calls its material "Armor Aluminum".

Your color choices are limited with the Pixel Fold - just black or white. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 gives you more options with Phantom Black, Cream, and Icy Blue, plus online-only Blue and Gray versions.

Display Experience: z Fold 5 vs Pixel Fold

Screen quality plays a decisive role in the Galaxy Fold 5 vs Pixel Fold battle when you open these premium devices. Both brands use state-of-the-art display technology in their foldables. Yet their visual experiences differ in several ways.

Main Screen Brightness: 1750 nits vs 1450 nits

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 takes the lead with its 1,750 nits peak brightness, while the Pixel Fold reaches 1,450 nits. This 300-nit gap makes a real difference in daily use. Our outdoor tests showed the Pixel Fold's inner display struggled with text visibility, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 remained clear and readable.

Lab tests confirm this brightness difference. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 hits 1,356 nits with HDR content, and this is a big deal as it means that it outperforms the Pixel Fold's 900 nits under similar conditions. This extra brightness helps a lot with outdoor use and media viewing.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5's inner screen creates a more immersive feel with its thinner borders. Users notice that this design choice delivers a more engaging view than the Pixel Fold's wider bezels.

Cover Display Usability: 6.2-inch vs 5.8-inch

These phones take different approaches with their external displays. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes with a taller, narrower 6.2-inch cover screen (2316 x 904 resolution) at 23.1:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel Fold opts for a wider, shorter 5.8-inch external display (2092 x 1080 resolution) with a 17.4:9 ratio.

Both designs have their benefits. The Pixel Fold's wider cover screen makes apps look more natural, just like a regular smartphone. The Galaxy Z Fold 5's narrower front display might seem less practical but works better for one-handed use.

Both devices pack 7.6-inch OLED panels with adaptive 120Hz refresh rates. They differ in how they open - the Pixel Fold unfolds to landscape mode, perfect for watching content, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 opens to portrait mode, better suited for work and multitasking.

Screen Protection: Gorilla Glass Victus 2 vs Victus

Samsung uses the newer Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, beating the Pixel Fold's original Gorilla Glass Victus. The newer glass brings notable improvements.

Victus 2 handles scratches better, with resistance increasing from 7-10 Newtons to 8-10 Newtons. Chemical resistance shows impressive gains too - after 24 hours in hydrochloric acid, Victus loses 49.9mg per square centimeter while Victus 2 only loses 3.6mg.

The new glass also scores better in toughness at 0.82 Megapascals per m0.5, up from 0.76 in the original Victus. This means better protection against drops, especially on concrete surfaces.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 stands out with its exclusive S Pen support for the inner display. This feature gives Samsung users creative and productivity options that Pixel Fold users can't match.

Performance and Multitasking: Google Fold vs Samsung Fold 5

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold show clear differences in processing power that go beyond just specs. Samsung's fifth-generation foldable shows its experience against Google's first attempt, with a clear gap in computing power and how well each handles multiple tasks.

Chipset Power: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Tensor G2

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, while the Google Pixel Fold uses its own Tensor G2 chip. This difference in processors creates a big gap in performance, as shown by standard tests:

• Geekbench 6: The Galaxy Z Fold 5 reached 1,995 single-core and 5,342 multi-core scores, way ahead of the Pixel Fold's 1,390 and 3,291 results

• Graphics Performance: Samsung's device ran at 81 frames per second in 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited, about twice what the Pixel Fold could do

• Video Processing: The Galaxy Z Fold 5 needed just 41 seconds to transcode video in Adobe Premiere Rush, while the Pixel Fold took a full minute

Real-life use shows this gap even more clearly. The Tensor G2 gets hot when pushed hard, which makes it slow down. You'll notice this most when doing heavy tasks like video editing, where the Pixel Fold starts to stutter between actions. The Snapdragon processor handles these same tasks smoothly.

Google points to Tensor G2's AI features like Magic Eraser and live transcription to make up for this. All the same, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 clearly wins in raw processing power.

Multitasking Features: 3 Apps vs 2 Apps Split-Screen

The biggest difference between these devices shows up in how they handle multiple tasks. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 makes good use of its extra processing power with better multitasking:

Samsung lets you run three apps at once in split-screen mode, but the Pixel Fold only manages two. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 also lets you add floating windows on top of split-screen apps, which means you can keep track of up to eight apps at the same time.

Samsung gives you more control over your screen layout too. The Pixel Fold only offers fixed 50/50 or 66/33 splits, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 lets you adjust window sizes freely.

Both phones have a taskbar for quick app access. Samsung's version has favorite apps and shows your recent ones too. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 also comes with Samsung DeX, which can show a desktop-like screen on external displays.

S Pen Support: Exclusive to Galaxy Fold 5

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 stands out as the only mainstream foldable that works with a stylus. This S Pen support adds creative and productivity options you won't find on the Pixel Fold.

Samsung created a thinner S Pen case just for the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The stylus works on the inner display only, but you can write notes, draw detailed pictures, or edit documents precisely on the big 7.6-inch screen.

The Pixel Fold can't use a stylus, which limits what professionals and artists can do with it. This makes the Galaxy Z Fold 5 an even better choice for getting work done.

Camera Systems: Pixel Fold vs Samsung Fold 5

The Google Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5 show two different approaches to mobile photography. Both manufacturers have their own ideas about what makes a great camera phone.

Main Camera Specs: 50MP vs 48MP

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes with a 50MP main sensor at f/1.8, plus a 12MP f/2.0 ultrawide and 10MP f/2.2 telephoto lens. The Google Pixel Fold packs a 48MP main camera at f/1.7, with 11MP ultrawide and periscope zoom lenses.

Sensor size makes a big difference here. Samsung's camera has a larger 1/1.57-inch sensor while the Pixel Fold uses a 1/2-inch sensor. This gives the Galaxy Z Fold 5 an edge in capturing light and detail.

Google's advanced computational photography powered by the Tensor G2 chip makes the Pixel Fold photos more appealing to many users. The Pixel handles colors and exposure better, and rarely messes up bright spots or dark areas. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 shows better detail on bigger screens though.

Zoom Capabilities: 3x vs 5x Optical Zoom

These phones take different paths with zoom features. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 gives you 3x optical zoom that goes up to 30x with Space Zoom. The Google Pixel Fold steps up with 5x optical zoom and Super Res Zoom reaching 20x.

Real-world tests show the Pixel Fold's zoom superiority. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 turns architectural details into "a blurry mess" at 20x zoom, while the Pixel Fold keeps things sharper. This comes from its better optical zoom and Google's smart enhancement algorithms.

Low Light Photography: Night Mode vs Natural Capture

Both phones handle low-light shots differently. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 can take decent night photos without night mode, which helps with moving subjects in dim light.

The Pixel Fold depends on night mode processing. This works great for still subjects and creates brighter photos overall. Night landscapes look better on the Pixel Fold with brighter skies and more shadow detail.

Samsung does better with bright spots in night scenes. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 captures more detail in light sources like the moon and lit doorways.

These camera systems reflect each company's priorities. Samsung pushes hardware specs and vivid colors, while Google banks on computational photography for natural-looking images.

Battery Life and Charging: Samsung Fold 5 vs Pixel Fold

The Google Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5 face a common challenge - lasting through the day without needing a charger. This becomes even more important since foldable phones power multiple displays.

Battery Capacity: 4400mAh vs 4821mAh

The Google Pixel Fold's 4,821mAh battery beats the Galaxy Z Fold 5's 4,400mAh capacity on paper. This 421mAh extra juice should make a difference, but it doesn't quite work out that way. Google's first foldable phone's bigger battery compensates for less efficient power management. Users report that the Pixel Fold runs out of power during heavy use while the Galaxy device keeps going strong.

Charging Speeds: 25W vs 30W Wired

The Google Pixel Fold supports 30W wired charging, which looks better than the Galaxy Z Fold 5's 25W. Testing shows the Pixel Fold only reaches about 21W.

Samsung wins at wireless charging with 15W compared to Google's basic 7.5W. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 also lets you charge other devices wirelessly - perfect when your earbuds need a quick boost.

Both phones hit 50% charge in about 30 minutes. Samsung edges ahead with full charges though - the Galaxy takes 1 hour 24 minutes while the Pixel needs 1 hour 32 minutes.

Ground Endurance: 10:55 vs 10:21 Hours

Tom's Guide's battery tests show the Galaxy Z Fold 5 lasting 10 hours 55 minutes, beating the Pixel Fold's 10 hours 21 minutes. This advantage shows up in different tasks:

• Web browsing: 8:04 hours (Galaxy Z Fold 5) vs 6:15 hours (Pixel Fold)

• Video playback: 12:40 hours (Galaxy Z Fold 5) vs 10:45 hours (Pixel Fold)

• Gaming: 5:13 hours (Galaxy Z Fold 5) vs 4:29 hours (Pixel Fold)

You'll likely charge both phones daily. The Galaxy Z Fold 5's better power efficiency makes it more dependable during busy days.

Ecosystem and Software Experience: Pixel Fold vs Galaxy Fold 5

Daily software usage reveals a clear developmental gap between the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold. Their distinct approaches show years of evolution in different directions.

Samsung DeX vs Google Smart Home Integration

Samsung's DeX mode revolutionizes productivity by turning the Galaxy Z Fold 5 into a portable computer. The desktop-like interface comes alive when users connect to external displays through wireless or cable options. Users resize windows, run multiple apps at once, and work with a traditional cursor—features the Pixel Fold doesn't have. The Pixel Fold can't even send its display through USB-C.

Smart home enthusiasts will find the Pixel Fold works better with Google's connected device ecosystem. All the same, Samsung has created its own detailed Galaxy ecosystem that connects Galaxy Buds, Watch, Tab, and Book.

Software Updates: 4 Years vs 5 Years

The Pixel Fold comes with five years of OS and security updates from its release date. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 provides four major Android updates and five years of security patches. Google's extra year of OS updates gives users better value over time.

Both devices started with Android 13 and now run Android 14. Samsung adds its own flavor with One UI (version 6), while Google keeps pure Android that gets new features faster.

Multitasking UI: One UI vs Stock Android

These foldables handle multitasking in completely different ways. Samsung's One UI lets users run three apps at once on the inner screen plus floating windows. The Pixel Fold keeps things simple with just two split-screen apps.

Samsung's system gives users more control—they can move content between windows and adjust app sizes freely. The Pixel Fold has an optimized experience but lacks these advanced features.

The app switching interface shows major differences too. Samsung's Good Lock customization tool gives users six different multitasking UI layouts, including a grid view that shows six apps at once. Stock Android sticks to its basic horizontal card view that displays just one full app at a time.

Comparison Table

The Final Verdict

A really close look at the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold reveals clear winners and losers in different areas. Samsung's expertise with foldables shows clearly - their fifth-generation device delivers better performance, longer battery life, and smoother multitasking. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor beats Google's Tensor G2 chip in both measurements and real-life use.

Photo lovers will probably enjoy the Pixel Fold's better 5x optical zoom and computational photography magic. Samsung fights back with a bigger main sensor and more versatile camera setup. Google promises one extra year of OS updates, but Samsung gives you a richer software experience with DeX mode and better multitasking options.

Your priorities about weight and shape will without doubt affect which phone you choose. Samsung's narrower but taller Galaxy Z Fold 5 feels lighter at 253g compared to the Pixel Fold's 283g, making it easier to hold for long periods. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 also has exclusive S Pen support, giving it a huge productivity advantage over Google's offering.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 makes more sense if you need serious multitasking power, better performance, and S Pen support. But if you love taking photos and live in Google's ecosystem, the Pixel Fold might be your better choice, even with its limitations.

Both phones cost a premium $1,799, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 gives you better value with its refined experience and full feature set. Samsung's years of making foldables have created a more polished product. Google's first attempt shows promise but needs work in key areas. Your specific needs and what matters most to you will help you decide which phone deserves your money in 2025.

FAQs

Q1. How long is the expected lifespan of foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold? Both devices are designed to withstand around 200,000 folds, which translates to about 5 years of regular use if folded 100 times per day. However, actual longevity may vary based on individual usage patterns and care.

Q2. What are the main differences in display quality between the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold? The Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers a brighter main display with 1,750 nits peak brightness compared to the Pixel Fold's 1,450 nits. The Z Fold 5 also uses newer Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for better durability, while the Pixel Fold uses the original Gorilla Glass Victus.

Q3. How do the cameras compare between the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold? The Galaxy Z Fold 5 features a 50MP main camera with a larger sensor, while the Pixel Fold has a 48MP main camera. However, the Pixel Fold offers superior zoom capabilities with 5x optical zoom compared to the Z Fold 5's 3x zoom. Both devices excel in different aspects of photography.

Q4. Which device offers better multitasking capabilities? The Galaxy Z Fold 5 provides more advanced multitasking features, allowing users to run up to three apps simultaneously on the main screen plus floating windows. The Pixel Fold is limited to two split-screen apps. Samsung's One UI also offers more flexibility in adjusting app sizes and layouts.

Q5. How do the battery life and charging capabilities differ between these foldables? Despite the Pixel Fold having a larger 4,821mAh battery compared to the Z Fold 5's 4,400mAh, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 actually offers slightly better battery life in real-world testing. The Z Fold 5 also supports faster 15W wireless charging, while the Pixel Fold is limited to 7.5W wireless charging.