Google has detailed the redesign of its new Pixel 9 Pro Fold, describing it as “fully redesigned and upgraded” from the first-generation Pixel Fold. The updated model is thinner and more compact, making it much more than just an iteration of its predecessor.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Key Improvements
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is noticeably thinner than the original Pixel Fold, with a folded thickness reduced by 1.5mm, making it just 2mm thicker than the Pixel 9 series phones.
When fully opened, it measures 5.1mm deep, which is 0.7mm thinner than the original Pixel Fold. This makes it the thinnest foldable smartphone currently available in the U.S. market, with the largest display of any foldable phone.
A Phone-First Design Approach
The redesign was driven by user feedback, according to Claude Zellweger, Google’s director of industrial design. “We saw that people were often using it closed,” Zellweger noted. Although users appreciated the tablet-like experience, they primarily wanted to use the device as a regular smartphone.
This insight led the design team to adopt a “phone-first” mantra. “Our goal was to make a foldable that felt, looked, and acted like any other smartphone while offering additional functionality,” Zellweger explained.
Jon Prowse, a Pixel product manager, added, “You have to make a great phone, and then you can make a great foldable.” The Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a 20:9 aspect ratio, similar to the Pixel 9 Pro, and includes premium finishes with smaller bezels.
The aim was to make the new Fold familiar to users, with an experience closer to that of a regular smartphone, whether it’s browsing the web or messaging, he added.
A New Hinge for a Thinner Design
Despite its reduced thickness, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold incorporates an 8-inch tablet-like display, one of its most notable upgrades.
To achieve this thin design, a new hinge was developed, using multi-alloy steel and high-strength aluminum alloy that snaps shut and opens flat with a satisfying snap.
George, a member of the design team, stated that the new hinge is more durable than before, maintaining the same torque feel as the original Pixel Fold.
The hinge design also incorporates a fluid-friction mechanism and optimized magnets that enhance the opening and closing experience. “We wanted it to feel just right,” Claude added, noting the importance of tactile satisfaction in the user experience.
Upgraded Camera in a Slimmer Frame
Building a thinner phone while maintaining high-performance camera capabilities posed a challenge.
“As we aimed to make the device thinner, we had to redesign the camera bar and incorporate customized optical modules,” Jon Prowse explained. The result is an upgraded ultrawide camera and two improved selfie cameras, all fitting into the new optical modules.
The double-stacked camera bar is positioned in the top left corner, allowing the phone to lie flat on surfaces and contributing to the overall slimmer profile. This change also enabled the inclusion of a larger battery.
Smaller Tweaks Add Up to a Major Update
Many smaller changes helped the Pixel 9 Pro Fold achieve its slim profile. The haptics driver is thinner but provides a more pronounced feel.
The USB-C port has been redesigned to be smaller, and the speakers are all new. The thermal system was also re-engineered with a new vapor chamber and graphite thermal spreader to manage the heat in a thinner device.
Jon summed it up:
With this process, it really goes to show that when you make a big architecture improvement, every piece of the phone — every single module — matters. It takes a lot of incremental changes to result in this big change.