We put the Google Pixel Fold through our rigorous DXOMARK Display test suite to measure its performance across six criteria. In this results summary, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key display specifications:
- 7.6 inches OLED (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio)
- Dimensions: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm (5.50 x 3.13 x 0.48 inches)
- Resolution: 1840 x 2208 pixels (~380 ppi density)
- Aspect ratio: 6:5
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Google Pixel Fold
145
display
155
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Best: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (164)
137
Google Pixel 8
Best: Google Pixel 8 (165)
143
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon) (163)
140
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Best: Google Pixel 7 Pro (164)
Position in Global Ranking
19
th
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
155
7. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
151
11. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
149
12. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
15. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
147
15. Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
147
17. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
146
20. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
144
21. Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
143
23. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
142
23. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
142
27. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
140
31. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
138
41. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
135
41. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G
135
46. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
134
49. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
133
49. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
133
49. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
49. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
133
54. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
132
59. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
59. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
131
63. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
130
63. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
130
63. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
74. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
129
78. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
82. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
126
102. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
122
102. Motorola Edge 40 Pro
122
106. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
120
112. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
114
114. Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
113
117. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
108
123. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
82
Position in Ultra-Premium Ranking
15
th
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
155
5. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
151
9. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
12. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
147
13. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
146
16. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
144
18. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
142
18. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
142
23. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
138
30. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
135
32. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
134
34. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
133
34. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
133
34. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
133
41. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
41. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
131
45. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
130
45. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
130
53. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
65. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
122
67. Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
113
Pros
- Good color rendering in most lighting environments
- Well-managed and pleasant HDR10 video experience
- Well-managed brightness in most tested conditions
Cons
- Sometimes lacks brightness after a few minutes in outdoor conditions
- Lacks smoothness at times when browsing the web
The Google Pixel Fold put in a superlative performance in our Display testing, earning joint top position in the DXOMARK Display ranking. The device leads all devices in both its Ultra-premium segment as well as across the database thanks to very pleasant color rendering, a bright screen, and good adapted brightness and contrast for HDR10 video content. In addition, the Pixel Fold benefits from very good color management, with colors remaining faithful for both still and dynamic content.
The Pixel Fold offered smooth interactions in most uses, from gallery viewing to gaming; however, users might notice stutters when browsing the web. As with other foldable phones, the device was affected by a jello effect — a slight perceptible lag between the right and left sides of the display that can make the content appear a bit “bent.”
In a bright environment, reflections made the Fold’s crease visible. In sunny outdoor conditions, the display was hard to read when the device’s high brightness mode turned off after a few minutes.
Foldable devices can offer multiple foldable possibilities at various angles. The Google Pixel Fold performed very well in these typical conditions, offering limited color shifts only at under 30°, as well as keeping 75% of on-axis brightness at 60°. It ensures a good and comfortable experience even when half-folded.
With its very high-quality display and compelling management of aspects specifically related to foldable displays, the Google Pixel Fold delivers the best experience we’ve seen to date for such formats.
Test summary
About DXOMARK Display tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective and perceptual tests under controlled lab and real-life conditions. Note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and its still image (gallery) and video apps at their default settings. (For in-depth information about how we evaluate smartphone and other displays, check out our articles, “How DXOMARK tests display quality” and “A closer look at DXOMARK Display testing.”
The following section gathers key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations under the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Readability
155
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
How Display Readability score is composed
Readability evaluates how easily and comfortably users can read still content (photos & web) on the display under different real-life conditions. DXOMARK uses its Display Bench to recreate ambient light conditions ranging from total darkness to bright sunlight. In addition to laboratory tests, perceptual analysis is also made in real-life environments.
Luminance under various lighting conditions
Contrast under various lighting conditions
Readability in a low-light (0 lux) environment
From left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Readability in an indoor (1000 lux) environment
From left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Readability in an outdoor (20 000 lux) environment
From left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Under bright light conditions, the Pixel Fold’s crease becomes more visible because reflections are more visible. Note that the crease of Pixel’s competitor, the Vivo X Fold, benefits from its anti-reflective film in this kind of environment.
Readability in a sunlight (>90 000 lux) environment
From left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Readability at a 45° angle
From left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Our engineers detected a small non-uniform patch on the right side of the main screen, but the impact on the user experience was low.
Luminance uniformity measurement
This graph shows the uniformity of the display with a 20% gray pattern. The more visible the green color, the more uniform the display.
Color
137
Google Pixel 8
Google Pixel 8
How Display Color score is composed
The color attribute evaluates the capacity of the device to accurately reproduce colors. The measurements taken are for fidelity, white point color, and gamut coverage. We perform color evaluations for different lighting conditions to see how well the device can manage color in the surrounding environment. Colors are measured using a spectrophotometer in a controlled lighting environment. Perceptual analysis of color rendering is against the reference pattern displayed on a calibrated professional monitor.
White point under D65 illuminant at 1000 lux
Color rendering indoors (1000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Color rendering outdoors (20 000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Color rendering in sunlight (>90 000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
The Pixel Fold has very well-tuned color management, adapting the rendering to the content color profile. Some colors can appear somewhat saturated, but the Google renders skin tones very faithfully.
Color fidelity measurements
Google Pixel Fold, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the sRGB color space
Google Pixel Fold, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the Display-P3 color space
Each arrow represents the color difference between a target color pattern (base of the arrow) and its actual measurement (tip of the arrow). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference is. If the arrow stays within the circle, the color difference will be visible only to trained eyes.
Color shifts on angle begin to be perceivable at around 25-30°. Past 30°, there is a pinkish color cast (visible in the illustration below) that then turns toward blue around 45°.
Color behavior on angle
This graph shows the color shift when the screen is at an angle. Each dot represents a measurement at a particular angle. Dots inside the inner circle exhibit no color shift in angle; those between the inner and outer circle have shifts that only trained experts will see; but those falling outside the outer circle are noticeable.
Color shift on angle
From left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
White spectrum with/without Blue Light Filter
Spectrum measurement comparison of a white web page with the Blue Light Filter on and off.
Video
143
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
How Display Video score is composed
Our video attribute evaluates the Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR10) video handling of each device in indoor and low-light conditions. We measure tone mapping, color gamut, brightness and contrast of the display. We perform perceptual analysis against our professional reference monitor (Sony BVM-HX310) to ensure that the rendering respects the artistic intent.
Video brightness at 10% APL in the dark ( < 5 lux)
Video rendering in a low-light (0 lux) environment
Clockwise from top left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
Clockwise from top left: Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, Vivo X Fold, Oppo Find N
(Photos for illustration only)
The Google Pixel Fold also automatically adapts its rendering to the video content color space.
Gamut coverage for video content
The primary colors are measured both in HDR10 and SDR. The extracted color gamut shows the extent of the color area that the device can render. To respect the artistic intent, the measured gamut should match the master color space of each video.
How Display Motion score is composed
The motion attribute evaluates the handling of dynamic contents. Frame drops, motion blur, and playback artifacts are scrutinized using games and videos.
Video frame drops
These long exposure photos present the number of frame irregularities in a 30-second video. A good performance shows a regular pattern (either a flat gray image or a pull-down pattern).
Touch
140
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google Pixel 7 Pro
How Display Touch score is composed
To evaluate touch, DXOMARK uses a touch robot and a high-speed camera to play and record a set of scenarios for smoothness, accuracy and response-time evaluation.
Average Touch Response Time Google Pixel Fold
This response time test precisely evaluates the time elapsed between a single touch of the robot on the screen and the displayed action. This test is applied to activities that require high reactivity, such as gaming.
How Display Artifacts score is composed
Evaluating artifacts means checking for the performance, image rendering and motion flaws that can affect the end-user experience. DXOMARK measures precisely the device’s reflectance and the presence of flicker, and assesses the impact of residual aliasing when playing video games, among other characteristics.
Average Reflectance (SCI) Google Pixel Fold
SCI stands for Specular Component Included, which measures both the diffuse reflection and the specular reflection. Reflection from a simple glass sheet is around 4%, while it reaches about 6% for a plastic sheet. Although smartphones’ first surface is made of glass, their total reflection (without coating) is usually around 5% due to multiple reflections created by the complex optical stack.
Reflectance (SCI)
Measurements above show the reflection of the device within the visible spectrum range (400 nm to 700 nm). It includes both diffuse and specular reflection.
PWM Frequency Google Pixel Fold
240 Hz
Bad
Good
Bad
Great
Displays flicker for 2 main reasons: refresh rate and Pulse Width Modulation. Pulse width modulation is a modulation technique that generates variable-width pulses to represent the amplitude of an analog input signal. This measurement is important for comfort because flickering at low frequencies can be perceived by some individuals, and in the most extreme cases, can induce seizures. Some experiments show that discomfort can appear at a higher frequency. A high PWM frequency (>1500 Hz) tends to be less disturbing for users.
Temporal Light Modulation
This graph represents the frequencies of lighting variation; the highest peak gives the main flicker frequency. The combination of a low frequency and a high peak is susceptible to inducing eye fatigue. Displays flicker for 2 main reasons: refresh rate and Pulse Width Modulation. This measurement is important for comfort because flickering at low frequencies can be perceived by some individuals, and in the most extreme cases, can induce seizures. Some experiments show that discomfort can appear at a higher frequency. A high PWM frequency (>1500 Hz) tends to be safer for users.
Aliasing (closeup)
Google Pixel Fold
(Photo for illustration only)
English
中文
Camera
Audio
Battery
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