Foldable phones aren't always sold on the quality of their cameras, but both the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 are focused on photography.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the newer foldable of this pair, making huge changes to Google's previous Pixel Fold model. It features a combination of 48MP main, 10.5MP ultrawide, 10.8MP 5x telephoto camera and two 10MP selfie cameras, plus lots of Google AI and software magic to improve the shots these cameras take.
Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 6 a couple months earlier than the Pixel, but it's part of a longer line of slowly refined foldables. Its camera loadout contains 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto camera, 10MP outer camera and 4MP under-display inner camera, which gives the Samsung phone a slight megapixel advantage over Google's, although some other elements of its kit don't match up.
On-paper comparisons only get us so far in finding out which foldable's cameras are best. So a walk around a local park and over a gigabyte of photos later, we've put together the ultimate comparison of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6's cameras. Check out our top samples below, and see which phone comes out on top.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Main camera
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold shot of Beckenham Place Mansion is noticeably brighter, helping bring out the character of this old stone building against the grey British sky. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 still offers a detailed image, but it's drab-looking in comparison.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Ultrawide
Moving to the other side of the building, and to the ultrawide camera, we see the Z Fold 6's image is sharper, which is what we want to see in an image with well-defined edges like the bricks of the old mansion. While the extra warmth of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's photo is nice, clarity is a higher priority here.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 6
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Telephoto
Using the two phones' default optical zoom levels, we see that in this shot of a clock tower and weather vane, the Z Fold 6 has produced a lot of noise in the shadows that distracts from the rest of the photo. The Pixel doesn't suffer from this, even if that does mean less-detailed textures in the brighter parts of the image.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Dynamic Range
In another main camera image, we can see how well these phones' photos can show off both the brightest and darkest parts of a subject at the same time. The Samsung is able to show off more of the inner branches of this handsome oak tree while still providing detail in the clouds, while the Google struggles to do the same.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 6
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Color
The Pixel shows off the colors of these painted blocks and the flags hanging from the canopy in much more appealing hues, especially the block to the left. The Galaxy shows off the texture of the different materials in the image well, but its more washed-out look gives the Pixel the win.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Max zoom
We return to the clock tower to try out our foldables' highest zoom levels, using a combination of optical and digital magnification. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold maxes out at 20x, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 goes to 30x, which is why there's a zoom level difference again, only in the opposite direction. The Pixel is sharper, even at its maximum zoom, although it's respectable that the Galaxy will get you closer in to a subject in a pinch if you prioritize that over quality.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Outer selfie portrait
In the first of the selfie pic comparisons, I used the phones' exterior front-facing cameras, with portrait mode active. Not only is the Galaxy's depiction of me more natural-looking, its portrait effect properly recognizes the frame of my glasses and cuts around it, rather than through it like the Pixel.
Winner: Z Fold 6
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Night mode
This cactus in a darkened room is here to show us how well Google's Night Sight and Samsung's Night mode let us take photos when there's not much light around. Whether it's at default night mode exposure (seen here), maximum exposure or in default photo mode, the Pixel provides a brighter shot that brings out color and detail. The best I can say about the Galaxy version is that the darker image does lend the scene a fun sense of moodiness.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Inner selfie
The camera embedded in the main display of a foldable is one you're likely to use for video calls, so it's important these make you look your best just like the exterior camera. There's an important difference between these two shots, as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold uses a typical punch-hole camera, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is taking a lower-res photo through the screen with an under-display camera sensor. It's no wonder that we have a weirder-looking shot of me and the brick wall from the Samsung, even if having an uninterrupted display is kind of cool.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Panorama
Both phones underwhelmed in this panning shot attempting to capture one of the park's large lawns. The Galaxy's cooler color temperature doesn't make the most of the scene, but the Pixel's weaker dynamic range means the darker areas are hard to make out, allowing the Galaxy to win with what would otherwise be a disappointing photo.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Main camera selfie
One of the unique benefits of a foldable phone is that you can open it, turn it around and then use the outer display to help you frame up selfies with the main cameras. Like we saw at the start, the Pixel produces a much brighter main camera photo. The Galaxy shot is okay, but is just too dark to be the winner.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Verdict
While overall we rank these phones the same, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold steamrolled the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in this camera face-off with a score of 9 rounds to 3.
Wins in the HDR, ultrawide and outer selfie portrait rounds suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold 6's ability to show depth, detail and contrast can sometimes help it get ahead of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. But the Google foldable is overall the more consistent phone for photos, thanks to superior hardware, smarter software, or likely both working together.
