The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is debuting into an increasingly tough market because, really, everything is good now. My first week with Google’s latest foldable has been one that started off hopeful, but is slowly turning a bit sour.

As mentioned in another piece, I feel that the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the fourth-best foldable you can buy today, with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and the Motorola Razr Fold taking the upper three spots, at least in a conversation mainly about the US market. Google was always going to face an uphill battle here, but a week of use has not improved its position.

So far, I just feel that the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a couple of generations behind the competition, and lacking any clear standout wins compared to the devices mentioned above.

That said, here’s the good from my first week:

  • “App Handles” has been a game-changer and might be my favorite evolution of foldable multitasking since “Open Canvas” on the OnePlus Open.
  • The Pixel software experience as a whole is top-notch, and I so dearly want to use it on my main foldable.
  • Having built-in Qi2 charging is so nice after a year with a Fold 7 with a slightly clunky metal ring on the back.
  • Google’s durability claims are holding up well so far, I’ve yet to get so much as a scuff on the ceramic display.
  • Tensor G6 is a pretty big upgrade for the foldable as, despite being in the midst of North Carolina’s “Hell’s Front Porch” season of the year, this is the first Google foldable I haven’t felt is prone to overheating.

But there are a couple of factors really holding me back here.

First, there’s the hardware itself. Google is objectively two years behind the competition in regards to overall fit and finish. While I’m perfectly fine with the thickness of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, it’s hard to ignore how much better Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 series phones feel in your hand. Even the wider Fold 8 at 9.7mm – less than .5mm thinner than the Pixel – just feels much better in the hand. Google’s slightly blocky design isn’t just doing it any favors. The Motorola Razr Fold also feels better despite being the same 10.1mm thickness.

The differing thicknesses of the two halves is also just a little weird. I’m not too perturbed by the little ridge you get as a result, but this is just so unusual in the foldable world, at least to this degree.

I could also throw in moderate complaints around the cameras and the display crease, but neither of those really bother me personally.

The biggest complaint so far has been battery life, and it might be a serious problem.

Pixel 11 Pro Fold battery life thus far has been, in a word, bad. The 4,700~ mAh battery just doesn’t hold a candle to any other modern foldable. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 isn’t too far ahead, but the efficiency of its Snapdragon chip combined with the smaller displays goes a long way in making that phone actually last a day, whereas Google’s device does not. And that’s not an exaggeration. Without getting into the weeds of screen-on time – this is not a review – I’ve had multiple days where I’ve had to plug this phone in at 7pm because it was running into battery saver mode. I’m hoping that this improves as the phone learns my usage habits, but it is not off to a good start. On the bright side, “Extreme Charging Mode” lives up to its name, and does provide some speedy charging compared to past generations, but it certainly doesn’t make up the difference that a good battery would bring.

The only good news? The battery life seems to be getting better by the day.

I’ll have more to say on Pixel 11 Pro Fold in our full review, but first impressions have not been particularly good. It’s probably not helping that I had to swap out my initial review unit due to what seems to be a slight hinge defect (a tiny popping sound when opening the hinge). Nothing else to share on that at this point, but I’ll be curious to see if that happens on any retail units.

Is there anything else you want to know about Google’s latest foldable? Drop a comment below and I’ll do my best to address it in the full review next week.

More on Pixel 11 Pro Fold:

  • I can’t unsee the reason Pixel 11 Pro Fold is thinner, but it’s for the best [Gallery]
  • Pixel 11 Pro Fold is $1,899 and Google says the back is ‘nearly impossible to crack’
  • Google’s best Pixel case in years still isn’t good enough to forget the fabric ones [Gallery]

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