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The foldable smartphone market is heating up this year. Both Google and Honor recently launched their latest foldable models, both showcasing cutting-edge technology and unique designs.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers a refined form factor and premium specs, while the Honor Magic V3 impresses with its ultra-slim build and powerful performance. But which is the better foldable phone?
Here’s a comparison that will help you decide which folding flagship is best for you.
Construction and design
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a rugged and premium design, echoing the aesthetics of the Pixel 9 series. When closed, it has a square, iPhone-like shape, which feels sturdy, but not the thinnest or lightest. Folded, it is 8.9 mm thick and weighs 257 grams.
The hinge is highly adjustable, allowing different angles without closing. The matte matte back and smooth, flat side rails give it a polished look, but the hinge is still prone to smudges.
Lucas Baker
The Magic V3 takes thin and light to a new level for foldable products: it is only 9.2 mm thick when folded and weighs just 226 grams. The ‘Super Steel’ hinge is robust and the ‘Special Fiber’ body material provides durability without feeling flimsy.
The IPX8 rating ensures water resistance up to 2.5 metres, although there is no dust protection. Its sleek design, combined with a striking octagonal camera bump, sets it apart visually, making it a highly portable option in the foldable category.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 wins in this category for its incredibly slim and lightweight design, making it easier to handle and more portable without sacrificing durability.
Screen and speakers
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 6.3-inch cover display and an 8-inch internal LTPO OLED screen. Both support a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, but the cover screen lacks the dynamic refresh rate of the main screen. With a peak brightness of 2700 nits for the cover and 1800 nits for the main screen, visibility is excellent in different lighting conditions.
The Pro Fold’s stereo speakers provide good sound quality, although one speaker can be muted in landscape mode.
Lucas Baker
The Magic V3 has a 6.43-inch cover display and a 7.92-inch internal screen, both using LTPO OLED technology, with a dynamic refresh rate of 1-120 Hz.
The screens offer vibrant colors and deep blacks, ideal for media consumption. However, the almost square aspect ratio of the internal screen can lead to black bars when watching videos.
The stereo speakers are powerful, but are better suited for use in folded mode due to their placement.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 outshines the Pixel 9 Pro Fold here, with its superior display technology and dynamic refresh rate on both screens, offering a more versatile viewing experience.
Performance
Powered by Google’s own Tensor G4 chip and 16GB of RAM, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold excels at daily tasks, app navigation, and AI-based processes.
However, it lags behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 devices – including the V3 – in terms of raw performance, making it less suitable for intensive gaming.
A choice of 256GB and 512GB storage options provides plenty of space for users.
Lucas Baker
The Magic V3 – equipped with the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12 GB of RAM – offers superior performance, especially in gaming and high-intensity tasks.
It transitions seamlessly between the cover and the internal screens, although demanding games may result in a slight performance drop on the larger screen.
The 512 GB storage capacity is not expandable, but sufficient for most users.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 takes the lead in terms of performance, thanks to the more powerful Snapdragon chip, making it the better choice for users looking for top performance, especially when gaming or multitasking.
Cameras
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 48MP main camera, an ultrawide 10.5MP, and a 10.8MP 5x periscope telephoto sensor. Daytime photos are vibrant and detailed, although low-light performance is heavily software dependent.
The dual 10Mp selfie cameras are adequate, but lack autofocus, making them less impressive compared to the competition.
Lucas Baker
The Magic V3 features a 50 MP main sensor, 50 MP telephoto with 3.5x zoom and a 40 MP ultra-wide lens. The main and telephoto lenses produce exceptional results, especially in low light.
Portraits are a standout feature, with precise edge detection and various stylistic modes. However, the ultrawide lens shows a noticeable reduction in quality.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 wins this round with its more versatile and higher-quality camera system, especially in low-light and portrait photography.
Battery and charging
The 4650mAh battery in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold can last a day of moderate use, but will need to be charged overnight. The 21W wired charging speeds and 7.5W wireless charging speeds are disappointing compared to the competition, taking around 100 minutes to fully charge.
Lucas Baker
The Magic V3’s 5150 mAh battery offers a long lifespan, even with intensive use of the internal display.
It supports 66W wired and 50W wireless charging, with a full charge taking just under an hour. The included charger is a plus and provides faster charging times compared to the Pixel.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Honor Magic V3 is the clear winner in terms of battery and charging, offering better battery life and significantly faster charging speeds.
Software and apps
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold runs Android 14 with an update to Android 15 and includes exclusive features like the Gemini AI suite and seven years of software updates.
The interface is clean, with an emphasis on usability and quick access to Google services. However, it lacks the more advanced multitasking features seen in some competitors.
Lucas Baker
The Magic V3 runs MagicOS 8 over Android 14 and offers a range of AI-powered features. While some of the tools – like Magic Portal, for seamless data transfer – are impressive, the heavy bloatware and inconsistent AI implementation detract from the experience.
Software update obligations are also less clear compared to Google’s generous seven-year policy.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is generally the better choice here, in terms of software and app experience, thanks to its clutter-free interface, longer update support, and better integration of Google services.
Price and availability
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is available worldwide and costs £1,749/$1,799 for the 256GB model and £1,869/$1,919 for the 512GB version.
It is sold through Google’s UK online store and the US Google online store, as well as Amazon UK and Amazon US.
The Honor Magic V3 is priced slightly lower at £1,699.99 in the UK.
It is available from the Honor website and via Amazon, Argos And Terribly in the UK, but not sold in the US. Its competitive pricing – given its specifications – makes it an attractive option, especially in regions where it is available.
Should you buy the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or Honor Magic V3?
Choosing between the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Honor Magic V3 is not easy.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers a refined, rugged experience with long-term software support and a premium build, albeit with some compromises in performance and charging speed.
However, it is an excellent choice for those who value software consistency and Google’s ecosystem.
Lucas Baker
The Honor Magic V3, on the other hand, stands out for its exceptional hardware, lightweight design and superior camera capabilities.
It outperforms the Pixel on most hardware aspects, but comes with a less polished software experience and a shorter update cycle.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
For those looking for the best foldable phone, we think the Honor Magic V3 is the better option. It’s close, though, and if you prefer software stability and longer support, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold remains a solid choice.