The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is sleek, but the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the better foldable — here’s why

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Samsung’s sleekest and lightest foldable yet, edging past the competition with its slender 8.9mm frame.

In comparison, Google made no attempt to make its latest foldable slimmer or lighter. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is actually thicker than even last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold at 10.8mm.

Still, that sleek frame does not make the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 a better foldable. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the better foldable.

5

Brighter screen

Foldables are all about their screens. Use the outer display for everyday tasks and switch to the folding screen when you want to get serious work done.

Both Samsung and Google have improved the durability of folding screens with their foldables this generation, including using a thicker cover glass.

However, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold trumps the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in one key area: screen brightness. While the outer and inner foldable screens on Google’s foldable can hit a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, the Z Fold 7 tops out at 2,600 nits.

Admittedly, that’s more than adequate for daily use. But in some situations, especially when outdoors and under direct sunlight or when watching HDR content, the Pixel’s brighter screen can make a difference.

Samsung could have offset the Fold 7’s lower screen brightness by using the anti-reflective cover glass from the S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra.

That’s not the case, though there’s a solution, as the company officially sells an anti-reflective screen protector for the Z Fold 7’s inner screen. The only problem is that it scratches too easily.

4

Longer battery life

Any smartphone is only as good as its battery life. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 falters in this area, packing a tiny 4,500mAh cell.

That’s not enough for all-day use, especially if you heavily use the 8-inch inner folding screen or the cameras.

In my usage, at best, I got around 4 to 5.5 hours of screen-on time — decent given the phone’s sleek frame, but not enough as a power user.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold fares better in the battery life department, thanks to a considerably larger 5,015mAh cell.

Combined with a more efficient Tensor G5 chip, Google’s newest foldable should easily deliver all-day battery life. And that should help justify its thicker 10.8mm frame and 258 grams.

3

IP68

IP68 dust and water-resistance has become common in mid-range and flagship Android devices. Despite steady progress, foldables had yet to achieve this milestone, offering only basic resistance to dust and liquid ingress.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold changes that, featuring an IP68-certified design. This means you can use it on the beach or near a pool, without worrying about dust or liquid ingress causing internal damage. This is largely due to the new gearless hinge, which is also a lot smaller.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 features an IP48 rating — the same as its predecessor. So, while the device provides ample safeguards against liquid ingress — you can dunk it in up to 1m depth of fresh water for 30 minutes, it only offers limited protection against dust ingress.

IP68 protection might not seem like a big deal. But that’s because we have come to take this feature for granted on modern slab phones.

For foldables to go mainstream, they must offer the same level of durability. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold successfully takes the first step towards this.

2

Satellite connectivity

Every year, Samsung packs its phones with the latest hardware available. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is no different, featuring a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a 200MP primary camera.

Yet, it misses out on satellite connectivity, a feature that iPhones have had since September 2022.

Even Google added this handy connectivity feature to the Pixel 9 family last year, and the Pixel 10 continues that trend, making satellite connectivity’s omission on the $2,000 Z Fold 7 more glaring.

Plus, Google has made the feature even better on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold by adding VoIP calling support through WhatsApp over a satellite network. This will ensure you can get in touch with your friends or family over WhatsApp when out of mobile network coverage.

1

Magnetic Qi2 charging

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold both support wireless charging, capped at 15W speeds.

However, Google’s foldable stands out with built-in Qi2 support, meaning it features integrated magnets to support MagSafe-like wireless charging. This means you can snap magnetic accessories like power banks and mounts directly to its back.

Google even sells official Pixelsnap accessories for the Pixel 10 family. You can use any Qi2 and MagSafe-compatible accessory with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, though.

Since the Z Fold 7 is “Qi2 Ready,” you must use a compatible Qi2 case to enjoy the same functionality.

Sleek does not always mean the best

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 stands out for its slim and lightweight form factor. It offers an experience that’s closest to a regular slab smartphone.

Still, as a power user, you might feel disappointed over its certain drawbacks, especially the average battery life and the lack of magnetic wireless charging.

If you’re a power user looking for a true foldable, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the better pick. It offers longer battery life and packs genuinely useful everyday features, making it the stronger device overall.