8 New Discoveries About the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Google unveiled the battery capacities in the new Pixels, and we’ve found that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has the smallest battery among the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, with a 4650 mAh battery capacity.

For comparison:

• Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro | 4700 mAh
• Pixel 9 Pro XL | 5060 mAh
• Pixel Fold | 4821 mAh

However, as experts say, there’s more to a phone’s battery life than a big battery. Powered by the latest tensor G4 chip, we may expect more efficient power management. But here’s what Shane found: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is supposed to charge at 21W, but the original Pixel Fold often charged slower, potentially due to thermal throttling. This happens when the phone's internal temperature warms up, causing the system to reduce performance to prevent overheating.

With potentially improved thermals plus the upgraded chip, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is expected to charge faster. If Google has been able to address these issues, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold could offer a significant improvement in charging speed.

Early reports suggest that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's actual battery life is surprisingly good, even “better than what you expect,” but there’s a doubt it exactly has the “24+ hour battery life” Google promised.

The Pixel 9 series is rumored to have a new, more efficient modem called Exynos Modem 5400, an upgrade from the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8’s Exynos Modem 5300. This could mean:

• Faster internet speeds
• FR1 frequency band
• Download speeds can reach up to 14.79 Gbps

While it looks like a minor bump, this should lead to a 30% better battery life from 15%. It will be a particularly helpful feature, especially in areas with poor cellular reception.

Some tests have shown that the Pixel 9 Pro XL’'s performance drops significantly by 50% after a short period of time.

While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports most of the new Video Boost features, it lacks 8K video boost and Super Res Zoom due to its lower-resolution sensors, which the Pixel 9 Pro gets. In fact, the Pro Fold lags behind in terms of camera compared to the non-folding devices. This is sad news for many users, considering the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the most expensive flagship device.

For reference, the AI-powered 8K video boost is a feature that uses machine learning to enhance video quality in 8K resolution, providing more detail, color accuracy, and overall clarity. It's a significant advantage for those who value high-quality video recording.

If you’re serious about getting the best image and video quality among all the phones, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are the top options.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is expected to feature Class 3 Face Unlock, a secure authentication method previously more common on Apple devices. This feature allows for biometric verification in sensitive applications like banking apps.

Android phones have historically relied more heavily on fingerprint sensors for security. Still, including Class 3 Face Unlock in the Pixel 9 series marks a significant upgrade, offering a more diverse range of biometric options.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold will support app pairs, allowing users to run two apps side-by-side.

Here’s how it works:

• Quickly open a pair of apps that you regularly use.
• You can even go so far as to long-press an app icon on your home screen.
• Tap the Split screen.
• Select the second app that you want to use in tandem.

This is a great feature for multitasking and should work well with the Android 14 software and Android 15 soon after.

Additionally, Google is working on a feature allowing apps to display in a dual-panel layout, even though the phone has a taller aspect ratio. This innovative approach could provide a more productive and efficient way to multitask on the device, enabling users to interact with two apps simultaneously.

📑 Summary