Most people do not need to pay the premium for a foldable smartphone. But if you’ve got some cash to burn and have been looking to take the plunge, the Google Pixel Fold is one of our favorites, and a recent deal has dropped it down to $1,399. That’s still far from “affordable,” but it ties the largest discount we’ve seen for the unlocked 256GB model, taking $400 off Google’s list price. The offer is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google’s online store. If you need more storage space, Google has the 512GB model for $1,519, another $400 discount. The company says this deal will run through February 24.
Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
While not cheap, this deal matches the low we saw during Black Friday for the unlocked version of Google’s foldable phone.
The Pixel Fold is the runner-up pick in our guide to the best foldable phones, and Engadget Senior Writer Sam Rutherford gave it a score of 85 in his review last June. Similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5, our top pick, it’s a “book-style” foldable, one that works like a traditional 5.8-inch smartphone when folded in half but offers a larger 7.6-inch display when unfurled. Next to Samsung’s phone (and the OnePlus Open), though, the Pixel’s displays are shorter and wider, which generally makes the device easier to use like a traditional phone. Your fingers have more room to breathe while texting when the phone is folded, while apps and videos will look more natural on the cover display. Samsung’s screens are brighter and more vibrant overall, but the 120Hz OLED panels here are still far from poor. You can see a crease in the middle of the internal display, however.
Beyond that, we’ve found the Pixel Fold’s cameras and image processing to deliver more accurate and dynamic photos than either the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the OnePlus Open, especially in low-light conditions. It’s thinner than Samsung’s phone as well, though it’s slightly thicker than the Open. Like other Pixel phones, the Fold runs on a relatively clean and streamlined version of Android. A decent number of Google’s own apps are tweaked to better fit the larger screen, and you can run two phone apps side-by-side. Google says it’ll provide OS updates through June 2026, with two additional years of security updates. That said, the Z Fold 5’s UI has more powerful tools for multitasking. And as with most Android tablets, it won’t take too long to find apps that aren’t optimized for large displays.
There are other caveats. The Pixel Fold is by no means slow, but its Tensor G2 chip is now a bit dated, so the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Open provide better raw performance. Battery life is worse by a few hours, too, plus it has larger bezels around the display. Then there’s the elephant in the room: All foldable phones carry a higher durability risk. The Fold has more ways to break despite costing more than the best “normal” phones, so you’ll have to be particularly careful with it. It’s also worth noting that Google is likely working on a Pixel Fold 2, though that isn’t expected anytime soon. All that said, the current Fold has plenty to like if you dead set on a foldable phone today, and this deal makes it at least a little more accessible.
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This story originally appeared on Engadget
