Google has a mixed track record when it comes to Pixel hardware, but it would be hard to fault the notable refresh of its latest foldable device. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is so different from the first Fold that it’s almost unrecognizable as a follow-up. My first hands-on experience was positive, and I’m almost certain it will sit at or near the top of any list of best foldable phones.
It might have even surpassed my other favorite foldable phone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, if it weren't for one major missing feature: stylus support.
You might not think this is important. Most of the best smartphones either don't have styluses or don't support digital pen input. You can use a soft-tip analog stylus on virtually any touchscreen smartphone, but it won't recognize pressure or tilt, and you won't be able to rest your hand on the screen while writing or drawing. These capabilities are especially important if you plan on drawing on the screen.
Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (and previous Samsung Galaxy Note devices) have long enjoyed an integrated stylus that slides out of the body and is ready to use at a moment’s notice on the big-screen device. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold series has had similar stylus support for a couple of generations now. Samsung doesn’t give you an S Pen for the Fold for free when you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 — it charges you $99 for the privilege. Still, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Stylus support is important on foldable devices because of their secretive display. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold isn’t just a slightly chunky 6.3-inch phone. It’s an Android-powered Gemini AI smartphone with a hidden 8-inch tablet display. That’s the only reason to spend $1,799 / £1,749 on such a device: to get access to a big screen in a form factor that’s not much bigger than a standard phone. And when you have a touchscreen that size, you want to use it for all the things you could do on a similarly sized tablet screen.
When I first tried out the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, I didn't have time to look into secondary features like stylus support. I thought it might support one, but I wasn't sure.
When I asked a Google executive about it, he told me there was no stylus support (and Google doesn't sell any styluses for it) and seemed rather perplexed that I would want such a thing. “Don't most digital artists use larger Wacom tablets?” he asked.
Wacom tablets were part of my early digital drawing experience, but when the iPad came along, I moved on to that and, at first, styluses. The arrival of the Apple Pencil (and apps like Procreate) was a revelation.
I explained that as a hobbyist artist and lifelong doodler, I draw on a screen (or piece of paper) of any size, and as part of my ongoing testing of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, I’ve been drawing on the 7.6-inch flexible display. Naturally, it’s not exactly the same as drawing on an iPad. The stylus is relatively small, but not overly so. The tip is a little soft to protect the flexible OLED, but I actually like the feel of it. Also, there’s the crease of the display, but I’ve found that when I’m deep into drawing, I don’t notice it.
What to do with a folding screen?
What I wanted to get across to this executive was that, yes, when I have an 8-inch display stashed in my pocket, I expect to be able to pull it out, unfold it, and start drawing. Unfortunately, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold apparently lacks the necessary digitizer screen layer that would allow for stylus support. I could carry a soft analog stylus with me and try that out, but since stylus input isn’t explicitly supported, I’m concerned that there’s a chance I could damage the flexible display.
Admittedly, adding a digitizing layer to a foldable phone’s display isn’t easy. When Samsung decided to add this capability in 2022 to the Z Fold 5, executives told me they had to figure out how to fit a rigid copper layer underneath the flexible OLED. In the end, they split the panel in two and placed half on either side of the 7.6-inch display.
While you could argue that Google made similar innovative leaps with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, giving it the dimensions advantage (a wider cover display and a larger foldable screen), the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is already winning on the creativity front.
Maybe Google will include digitizer pen support in the next foldable Pixel. I've already submitted my application.
