Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold faces a crowded foldable market

TechCrunch reviewer Ivan Mehta says Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold brings modest changes to a market with more competition from wide-format foldables. The phone is lighter, has a brighter display and improved wireless charging, and uses an updated camera sensor. Google’s new olive color is another change.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold measures 5mm thick unfolded, compared with 5.2mm for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and 10.1mm folded, down from 10.8mm. It is 19 grams lighter than last year’s model. Google claims the new version is three times more durable and adds a glass-ceramic cover and glass-fiber composite back. Its display reaches 3,600 nits, up from last year’s 3,000-nit peak, though Mehta says the screen crease remains visible.

The phone supports two apps side by side. Mehta praises Gmail’s split view but says Slack lacks one. The updated 48-megapixel main camera sensor takes in more light, and the phone’s Super Res Zoom now reaches 30x, compared with 20x before. Mehta says the cameras are capable but fall short of the Pixel 11 Pro XL.

At $1,899, the phone costs $100 less than the new iPhone Duo and matches the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, according to the review. In the U.S., the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $2,099. Mehta frames the Pixel as an option for people who want a foldable and favor Google’s phones, while noting competition from other brands.