The folding smartphone category is about to get a bigger with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is available for pre-order now. With a starting price of $1,799, this powerful phone features a 6.3-inch cover display and fits nicely in a pocket when folded. When it’s open, you get access to a stunning 8-inch touchscreen. The phone begins shipping September 4 and is definitely a worthy competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Also starting today, pre-orders are open for the new Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphones, along with the Pixel Watch 3 smartwatch, and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 wireless earbuds. Keep reading to discover how you can snag a great pre-order deal on Google’s newest and most powerful folding smartphone.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Everything you love about the Pixel 9 Pro, with a larger display

Display size: 6.3 inches (cover), 8 inches (internal) | Display type: Actua touchscreen OLED (cover), Super Actua Flex OLED touchscreen (internal) | Display resolution: 1,080 x 2,224 pixels (cover), 2,076 x 2,152 (internal) | Display brightness: Up to 2,700 nits (cover), 2,700 nits (internal) | Processor: Google Tensor G4, Titan M2 security co-processor | Available colors: Porcelain, obsidian | Dimensions: 6.1 x 3 x 0.5 inches (folded), 6.1 x 5.9 x 0.2 inches (unfolded) | Weight: 9.1 ounces | Battery life: Up to 24 hours | Storage options: 256GB, 512GB | Rear cameras: 48MP (wide), 10.5MP (ultra-wide), 10.8MP (telephoto) | Front camera: 10MP | Operating system: Android 14 | Port: USB Type-C 3.2 | Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3

Going head-to-head with the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts off almost exactly the same size as the Google Pixel 9 Pro when it’s folded. This means it fits comfortably in your pocket and you can use it just like a traditional smartphone. Just keep the phone closed and use just the 6.3-inch Actua OLED cover touchscreen. 

When you unfold the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you get access to a stunning 8-inch Super Actua Flex OLED touchscreen. You can display one app across the entire screen; run two apps side-by-side; or even take advantage of the phone’s new multi-view feature. This is the phone you want if you need extra on-screen real estate and the ability to multitask with ease — without having to carry a separate tablet. 

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a must-have smartphone for Android power users, and it offers a slew of features the other Pixel 9 phones don’t offer, particularly when it comes to watching videos, shooting and editing photos or video, and multitasking. The phone comes in your choice of porcelain or obsidian colors. And you can choose between 256 gigs ($1,799) or 512 gigs ($1,919) of storage. 

Head over to Best Buy to pre-order the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, starting at $1,799 and get a free $350 Best Buy gift card and three months of Google One service as a bonus. Best Buy is also offering up $460 instant credit for eligible devices. 

New features in Google Pixel 9 phones

Android smartphones have entered the Gemini AI era.  So all new Android phones will integrate the latest Google Gemini AI tools and features, including the Gemini Assistant, which has replaced Google Assistant. While older Android phones will gain some AI capabilities with an Android OS update, only the newer phones will offer all of the latest AI functionality.

All of the Google Pixel 9 smartphones have Gemini Assistant built in. So these phones understand not just the words you say or type, but the user’s intent. It can also share information between your Gmail inbox, your smartphone, your Google Drive account, as well as Calendar, Google Photos, Google Keep, Google Tasks and Google Maps. And if you subscribe to Gemini Advanced, you’ll get a new feature called Gemini Live, which lets you talk to Gemini Assistant through normal conversation. 

Here are our 12 favorite features in the new of the Google Pixel 9 smartphones:

• Up to 20% longer battery life compared to previous Pixel phones.
• One year of Gemini Advanced service in most models.
• A satellite SOS feature that sends text messages via satellite in an emergency.
• A redesigned Pixel Weather app that is customizable and more accurate.
• More calling features through Pixel Call Assist, including Call Notes. You can record phone calls and receive both a full, text-based transcript and a call summary almost immediately after a call ends.
• Pixel Screenshots lets you to capture a screenshot of anything onscreen, store it for future reference and even make it searchable.
• Pixel Studio provides a more powerful text-to-image generator that includes a handful of style options.
• The redesigned Panoramic photo mode now supports night sight and the ability to capture up to 50-megapixel images.
• Group Photos makes capturing group images easier. There’s also the new Add Me feature, which can put you into a group if you’re the one taking the picture.
• Guided Frame uses AI to help you frame the best shots when shooting pictures or video.
• There are enhanced Magic Editor photo editing features, including a new Auto Frame tool.
• Video Boost enhances 4K resolution video up to near 8K resolution.

For more help choosing a new smartphone, we’ve got you covered with our comprehensive coverage of the best cell phones of 2024, the best smartphones with AI, the best folding smartphones in 2024, and the best smartphones under $500. In fact, all of our smartphone coverage is continuously being updated as new models and operating system updates are released.