First look at Pixel Fold, Google’s first foldable smartphone

news7g06/27/2023

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First look at Pixel Fold, Google's first foldable smartphone

The Pixel Fold is the first foldable phone designed by Google. I had a chance to preview this feature-packed productivity tool, which is actually both a phone and a tablet. In this review, I’ll discuss the Pixel Fold from a photographer’s perspective, its myriad camera features, and its use as a productivity tool for creative professionals.

Phone and tablet in one

When closed, the Pixel Fold feels like any other smartphone and is the thinnest foldable phone on the market today. The phone’s size, shape, and depth, even with a case included, provide a great user experience. It fits easily in a pocket and is almost as thick as my iPhone 11 in a case. The stainless steel hinge, camera housing, and overall design have a premium look and feel, making this an attractive addition to your tool bag. I find myself using the Pixel Fold closed quite often because the front screen and haptics work well. I will also add that this is the first non-Apple smart device I have ever used, and although I initially thought it would create a steep learning curve, I was quickly able to use it. comfortably use your phone for everything from checking email to using your phone. favorite apps and take pictures.

However, of course, the Pixel Fold’s appeal lies mainly in its ability to unfold into a 7.6-inch tablet with what Google calls a “vivid display”. The phone, when unfolded, really acts like a tablet and offers many great features for productivity and especially for photographers.

For example, the full screen can be set to “Split screen,” which I find to be a great option when checking email. In this mode, the left side of the screen shows the inbox as on a standard phone and the right side shows the currently selected email. This makes checking and scrolling through multiple emails a much more streamlined task than on a standard smartphone. Additionally, the split-screen feature can be used to view any two apps or websites you want to view at the same time, making for a great productivity tool on the go.

Photography and editing apps

While the 7.6-inch screen may seem relatively small by today’s tablet standards, the Pixel Fold’s high-resolution OLED display and high refresh rate make it possible to review and even edit photo. If you travel and do a lot of navigation, you will easily find how useful this smartphone can be, especially if you are like me and want to move as light as possible but still be efficient. .

One of the first apps I downloaded was Adobe Lightroom. My library was synced instantly and I was able to view and edit my photos. While I still enjoy editing in my studio on a big screen, Lightroom on the Pixel Fold can be useful sometimes. If you commute to work by train or plane, carrying a foldable phone that doubles as a tablet has obvious benefits. However, there are also times when I go out and wait around, constantly scrolling on my phone. With this device, for example, I can view, edit, and share showrooms with my customers while waiting for their vehicle at the auto repair shop.

Next, I downloaded another app that I use almost every day, Canva. As a content creator, I use Canva for a variety of purposes, including creating thumbnails for my YouTube videos. The large touchscreen and the great Canva app make it relatively easy to create and edit thumbnails. Since I usually export large videos from my Macbook Pro, creating thumbnails on a second device can avoid the slowdown when my computer is processing 4K video.

Finally, I wanted to see how easy it is to download and use the new Fujifilm X App on the Pixel Fold. The application is easy to install and immediately contact me X-T5. At first, I was disappointed that the app was still about the size of a standard smartphone screen, even on larger screens. However, to my pleasant surprise, the Pixel Fold prompted me to reopen the app for an enhanced view, and you know what, after restarting the X App, it fills the entire screen is open. I am very impressed. I used the X App to take pictures as well as review them. Once again, the large tablet-style screen made a significant difference in the overall experience. I have a criticism here that there is a significant lag between moving the camera around my studio and the X App keeping up with the live view of my movements, but I’m not sure if this is the case. is it due to the app, my internet speed or not. phone, or all three. Regardless, the experience is more like connecting to an iPad than to a phone.

Advanced built-in camera

Pixel Fold has an advanced built-in camera system. The rear cameras include a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, as well as a 5x 10.8-megapixel optical telephoto lens and an ultra-wide-angle lens. It also includes 20x Super Res Zoom, with “remosaic” technology that Google claims will deliver full 12-megapixel images. Other features include 10-bit HDR video, Face Unblur and Photo Unblur, which uses machine learning to reduce blur and noise in images, and Real Tone, designed to accurately render darker skin tones.

I walked through Central Park and took a lot of photos and videos with the Pixel Fold, and the results were pretty good for a small sensor. Like viewing photos in Lightroom, taking photos with your smartphone’s native camera app becomes a more enjoyable experience when reviewing photos on the “big screen.” The screen has enough brightness to view photos outdoors in bright sunlight. When in the shade, I found it easy to see colors, contrast, and detail. In portrait mode, the camera performs well, and while the bokeh effect is still much to be desired for a professional photographer, it’s more subtle than the results I took with my iPhone and has little effect. more halo response around the subject. Another interesting and useful feature of the camera is the Long Exposure mode, which does not require the use of a tripod. I used the long exposure to blur the water in a stream while holding the phone. This feature impressed me the most as a photographer, and while this particular photo is nothing worth writing home about, the reality is that I produced a long exposure without needing a tripod is remarkable.

While walking with my family through a nature reserve, I captured an image of a flower below. However, it was not until I returned home that I realized that the flower was not sharp. Only the edges were in focus so I decided to try one of the Pixel Fold’s editing tools. I used the Color Focus editor and to my surprise I was able to fix the focus just by touching the center of the flower. This adjusts the focus so that the flower is now sharp, as shown in the before and after images below. This is a great and practical feature that I can see as saving an entire day taking pictures of kids, vacations, etc.

The Pixel Fold also has an impressive dynamic range for a smartphone. I photographed the San Remo building below, surrounded by trees, in standard auto mode. I also edit photos using the built-in software in my phone, and I was able to enhance the sky and use the shadow slider to bring more detail to the trees in the foreground that were obscured in the shadows. To be fair, I’d still rather carry around a small camera than use any smartphone to take pictures, for obvious reasons of the quality and over-sharpness of most photos. taken with a smartphone. However, there are times when carrying around a Fujifilm X-T5, for example, is not convenient or practical, especially when there are two young children with them. In these cases, the Pixel Fold offers a lot of great photography features and better quality than my current iPhone, even though it’s an older model.

Conclusion

After using the Pixel Fold for a few weeks, I found a lot to love about this thoughtful and creatively designed smartphone. And, this first glance review only scratches the surface of this feature-packed device. As a tool for photographers, it will have a certain appeal and more importantly, its form and function as a phone have not been sacrificed to accommodate the folding screen. Regarding the folding screen, there are some important details that potential buyers should know. First, when the phone is open, the seam between the screens is visible, although it’s less noticeable in situations where there’s not much glare. I don’t find it distracting when working on the phone, but of course it would be better without the obvious seams. Second, the folding screen will be more delicate than the traditional smartphone screen, so we will have to wait to know the long-term durability of the folding screen. On a positive note, the external display and self-contained design feel as powerful as any other phone on the market. Last, but perhaps most importantly, potential buyers should know that the Pixel Fold starts at $1,799 for the 256GB model.