The foldable smartphone market is heating up this yr. Each Google and Honor just lately launched their newest foldables, each showcasing cutting-edge expertise and distinctive designs.
The Pixel 9 Professional Fold provides a refined kind issue and high-end specs, whereas the Honor Magic V3 impresses with its ultra-slim construct and highly effective efficiency. However which one makes for the higher folding cellphone?
Right here’s a comparability that can allow you to determine which flagship foldable is the most effective match for you.
Construct & Design
The Pixel 9 Professional Fold contains a strong and premium design, following the aesthetic of the Pixel 9 sequence. When folded closed, it has a boxy, iPhone-like form, which feels sturdy however not the slimmest or lightest. It measures 8.9mm thick when folded and weighs 257g.
The hinge is very adjustable, permitting for varied angles with out snapping shut. Its frosted matte rear and easy, flat aspect rails give it a elegant look, however its hinge continues to be susceptible to smudging.
Luke Baker
The Magic V3 takes skinny and lightweight to a brand new degree for foldables, being simply 9.2mm thick when folded and weighing solely 226g. Its ‘Tremendous Metal’ hinge is strong, and the ‘Particular Fiber’ physique materials gives sturdiness with out feeling flimsy.
Its IPX8 ranking ensures water resistance as much as 2.5m, though it lacks mud safety. The modern design, coupled with a particular octagonal digicam bump, units it aside visually, making it a extremely moveable choice within the foldable class.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 wins on this class because of its extremely slim and light-weight design, making it simpler to deal with and extra moveable with out compromising sturdiness.
Show & Audio system
The Pixel 9 Professional Fold has a 6.3-inch cowl show and an 8-inch inside LTPO OLED display. Each help a peak 120Hz refresh price, nonetheless, the duvet display lacks the dynamic refresh price of the principle show. With peak brightness at 2700 nits for the duvet and 1800 nits for the principle show, visibility is great below varied lighting situations.
The Professional Fold’s stereo audio system present good sound high quality, although one speaker can get muffled in panorama mode.
Luke Baker
The Magic V3 contains a 6.43-inch cowl show and a 7.92-inch inside display, each utilizing LTPO OLED tech, with a dynamic 1-120Hz refresh price.
The screens supply vibrant colors and deep blacks, splendid for media consumption. The interior show’s almost-square side ratio would possibly result in black bars when watching movies, although.
Its stereo audio system are highly effective however are higher suited to make use of in folded mode, because of their placement.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 edges out the Pixel 9 Professional Fold right here, with its superior show expertise and dynamic refresh price on each screens, offering a extra versatile viewing expertise.
Efficiency
Powered by Google’s personal Tensor G4 chip and 16GB of RAM, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold excels in every day duties, app navigation, and AI-based processes.
Nevertheless, it lags behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered units – together with the V3 – when it comes to uncooked efficiency, making it much less appropriate for intensive gaming.
A selection of 256GB and 512GB storage choices gives ample area for customers.
Luke Baker
The Magic V3 – outfitted with the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM – provides superior efficiency, particularly in gaming and high-intensity duties.
It transitions seamlessly between the duvet and inside screens, though demanding video games could end in a slight efficiency drop on the bigger display.
The 512GB storage is non-expandable however ample for many customers.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 takes the lead in efficiency, due to its extra highly effective Snapdragon chip, making it the higher selection for customers on the lookout for top-tier efficiency, notably when gaming or multitasking.
Cameras
The Pixel 9 Professional Fold sports activities a 48Mp primary digicam, 10.5Mp ultrawide, and a ten.8Mp 5x periscope telephoto sensor. Daytime photographs are vibrant and detailed, although low-light efficiency depends closely on software program.
The twin 10Mp selfie cameras are enough however lack autofocus, making them much less spectacular, in comparison with the competitors.
Luke Baker
The Magic V3 boasts a 50Mp primary sensor, 50Mp telephoto with 3.5x zoom, and a 40Mp ultrawide lens. Its primary and telephoto lenses produce distinctive outcomes, notably in low-light eventualities.
Portraits are a standout characteristic, with exact edge detection and varied stylistic modes. Nevertheless, the ultrawide lens reveals a noticeable drop in high quality.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 wins this spherical with its extra versatile and higher-quality digicam system, notably in low-light situations and portrait images.
Battery & Charging
The 4650mAh battery within the Pixel 9 Professional Fold can final via a day of reasonable use however requires nightly charging. Its 21W wired and seven.5W wi-fi charging speeds are underwhelming in comparison with its competitors, taking round 100 minutes for a full cost.
Luke Baker
The Magic V3’s 5150mAh battery provides robust longevity, even with heavy use of the inner show.
It helps 66W wired and 50W wi-fi charging, with a full cost taking slightly below an hour. The included charger is a plus, offering quicker recharge occasions, in comparison with the Pixel.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 is the clear winner in battery and charging, providing higher battery life and considerably quicker charging speeds.
Software program & Apps
Working Android 14 with an replace to Android 15 out there, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold consists of unique options just like the Gemini AI suite and 7 years of software program updates.
The interface is clear, with a give attention to usability and fast entry to Google providers. Nevertheless, it lacks extra superior multitasking options seen in some rivals.
Luke Baker
The Magic V3 runs MagicOS 8 excessive of Android 14, providing a variety of AI-powered options. Whereas some instruments – like Magic Portal, for seamless information switch – are spectacular, the heavy bloatware and inconsistent AI implementation detract from the expertise.
Software program replace commitments are much less clear in comparison with Google’s beneficiant seven-year coverage too.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold is the higher selection right here general, when it comes to software program and app expertise, due to its clear interface, longer replace help, and higher integration of Google providers.
Worth & Availability
The Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold is obtainable globally, priced at £1,749/$1,799 for the 256GB mannequin and £1,869/$1,919 for the 512GB model.
It’s bought via Google’s on-line retailer in UK and the US on-line Google retailer, in addition to Amazon UK and Amazon US.
The Honor Magic V3 is priced barely decrease, at £1,699.99 within the UK.
It’s out there via the Honor web site and through Amazon, Argos and Very within the UK, however is just not bought within the US. Its aggressive pricing – given the specs – makes it a horny choice, particularly in areas the place it’s out there.
Must you purchase the Pixel 9 Professional Fold or Honor Magic V3?
Selecting between the Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold and Honor Magic V3 is just not simple.
The Pixel 9 Professional Fold provides a refined, strong expertise with long-term software program help and a premium construct, albeit with some compromises in efficiency and charging pace.
It’s a wonderful selection for many who worth software program consistency and Google’s ecosystem, although.
Luke Baker
The Honor Magic V3, however, stands out for its distinctive {hardware}, light-weight design, and superior digicam capabilities.
It outperforms the Pixel in most {hardware} features however comes with a much less polished software program expertise and a shorter replace cycle.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
For these searching for the most effective foldable cellphone, we predict the Honor Magic V3 is the higher choice. Nevertheless, it’s a detailed name and for those who desire software program stability and longer help, the Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold stays a strong selection.