Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Here's The Clear Winner After Testing Both

Joseph Maldonado and Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold has yet arrived, and it isn't taking connected nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 pinch a generational creation leap. Instead, it competes by adding quality-of-life features -- a mates of which are industry-firsts for a foldable phone. 

If you are fresh to upgrade from a slab telephone to a foldable one, now is nan champion clip to do so. However, it tin beryllium confusing to make a determination erstwhile some Google and Samsung book-style foldables are truthful bully this year.

Also: I ran a 100x camera zoom trial pinch nan Pixel 10 Pro and Samsung S25 Ultra - and there's a clear winner

Here's really nan caller Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold compares to nan Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, and which 1 is nan champion for you. 

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You should bargain nan Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold if…

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

1. You activity successful a dust-prone environment

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is nan first book-style foldable to athletics an IP68 rating, which intends it is genuinely resistant against infinitesimal particulate particles. In comparison, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 is rated IP48 for particulate and h2o resistance, truthful it is protected against coagulated particles bigger than 1 millimeter. Since particulate particles are smaller than 1mm, there's nary guarantee that a Z Fold 7 will do good against dust.

Also: Google conscionable settled nan foldable telephone statement pinch 1 number -- and I dream Samsung is watching

If you unrecorded successful a spot susceptible to particulate aliases activity successful a dusty environment, nan Google foldable will service you better. It isn't dustproof, per se, but you tin get other bid of mind erstwhile utilizing it successful those environments.

2. You are shifting from an iPhone

If you can't hold for a foldable iPhone and want to move to a book-style foldable this year, nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold is nan telephone to buy. While switching to a Samsung foldable is arsenic easy/tedious, you'll beryllium capable to clasp your iPhone's MagSafe-compatible accessories if you bargain nan Google foldable.

The Pixel 10 bid comes pinch a caller characteristic called PixelSnap. It is for illustration MagSafe, wherever you get magnets to connect a slew of accessories. The caller tech is based connected Qi2 standards and offers 15W wireless charging connected nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold. So, if you person MagSafe-compatible charging pads, powerfulness banks, aliases moreover tripods, they should theoretically beryllium compatible pinch nan caller Google phones. This makes shifting to an Android foldable easier for an iPhone user.

3. You want a much affordable folding phone 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 1 of nan champion (if not nan best) book-style foldables you tin bargain correct now. It weighs little than astir slab flagship phones and feels for illustration a 'normal' telephone successful nan hand. But it besides carries a monolithic $2000 value tag. If you don't want to walk 2 expansive connected your caller phone, nan Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is nan measurement to go. 

Also: I went hands-on pinch each Google Pixel 10 exemplary - and was amazed by nan 1 I loved most

The caller Google foldable undercuts its Samsung rival by $200. The guidelines 256GB retention version is priced astatine $1,800. You tin presently acquisition nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 for arsenic debased arsenic $1,700 connected Amazon, but that's nan existent discount price. Once it goes connected sale, you should beryllium capable to find discounts connected nan Pixel foldable, too.

4. You want to usage each nan Gemini AI features for a year

If you are caller to nan AI world and want to effort nan champion of Google AI features for free, Pixel 10 Pro Fold is nan measurement to go. The institution is offering a year's worthy of Gemini AI Pro subscription for free pinch its Pixel 10 Pro series. This intends you tin get enhanced features for illustration entree to Gemini 2.5 Pro, Veo 3 for AI-generated videos, 2TB of unreality storage, and previews of upcoming AI tools. By contrast, Samsung is giving six months of free access to nan aforesaid work pinch its Galaxy Z Fold 7.

You should bargain nan Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 if…

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

1. You want nan slimmest and lightest folding phone

I emotion my Galaxy Z Fold 7 for its slim and ray design. In fact, it is much comfortable to clasp and usage than large flagship phones for illustration nan iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung's ain Galaxy S25 Ultra. At 215 grams, it is 1 of nan astir comfortable phones to usage connected nan marketplace correct now. Plus, it measures conscionable 8.9mm erstwhile folded and 4.2mm erstwhile unfolded, which feels surreal astatine times. 

Also: I spent a week successful New York City pinch nan Samsung Z Fold 7 - and it spoiled maine nan full time

Samsung has almost perfected nan shape facet pinch its latest foldable. If you want a foldable telephone without nan foldable creation quirks, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 is nan telephone for you (if you are a right-hander, because hinge edges are still very crisp for left-handed people).

2. A folding phone's crease bothers you

When I first unboxed nan Galaxy Z Fold 7, I was amazed by nan soul screen's flatness erstwhile I rubbed my manus complete it. If you person utilized a folding telephone earlier but couldn't unrecorded pinch it because of a gigantic crease moving down nan mediate of its large screen, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 will beryllium a activity of caller aerial for you. 

Samsung's caller folding telephone features nan smallest crease successful its segment. You tin still spot it astatine definite angles, but it won't fuss you astatine all. In comparison, Google's crease business still needs work.

3. You want a polished suite of AI features

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 tin tally Gemini, but nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold can't tally Galaxy AI features. That's not to opportunity nan Google telephone doesn't person exclusives. The caller Magic Cue and Camera Coach features are worthy trying. 

Also: PixelSnap is nan MagSafe for Android phones we've been waiting for - here's our first look

However, Galaxy AI has a much tried-and-tested suite of comparatively much polished AI features, specified arsenic AI Select, a damn bully entity eraser, and more. You tin besides avail free six months of Gemini AI Pro to effort Veo 3, NotebookLM, etc., pinch nan Galaxy Z Fold 7.

4. You want to bargain a foldable successful nan adjacent fewer weeks

If you want to bargain a caller folding telephone successful nan adjacent month, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 is your only prime because nan Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold won't spell connected waste till October 9. That's 7 weeks aft launch. By contrast, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 is already disposable and mightiness seduce imaginable Pixel buyers, particularly astatine nan caller price.

I person yet to usage nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold arsenic a regular driver, truthful I don't person an sentiment connected nan cameras aliases artillery life. While it packs a bigger compartment than its counterpart, I'll only beryllium capable to show nan quality aft I person utilized it successful regular life. Both phones tally Android 16 retired of nan container and are promised to person up to 7 years of OS and Android information updates, truthful they should past long.