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There's one big reason I'll choose the Pixel 11 Pro Fold over the Galaxy Z Fold 8
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As Google launched its new lineup of Pixel devices in New York, I was chilling in Myrtle Beach, enjoying a long-overdue vacation. My priorities at the time were ocean wave diving, a little reading, and enjoying some fun with my family. But I had to plan ahead for this vacation. Notably, I had to fire up my Kindle e-reader once again, and I had to switch phones.
The problem wasn't that I had to review another phone, which is often the reason why I need to switch. I had a bigger problem -- durability. Samsung went out of its way to make the Galaxy Fold 8 and Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra pretty durable. It added titanium to the hinge and the inner screen, which is a great addition. But it failed to add one more thing to the phone: dust resistance.
Also: Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: How the big Android foldables compare
It's true that IP48 water and dust resistance can withstand larger dirt particles, but sand -- beach sand in particular -- is another matter. Just look around YouTube, and you'll find no shortage of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 owners who mistakenly took their phones to the beach and came away with a crunchy hinge.
That crunch may not damage the hinge or the screen long term, but it was enough to make me nervous. So, rather than risk damaging a foldable, I switched to my Pixel 10 Pro XL for the week. That phone's IP68 rating was enough to put my nerves at ease. Of course, I could have switched to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which also carries an IP68 water and dust rating, but to be honest, I didn't think about it at the time. But the Pixel 10 Pro XL served me admirably on the beaches of South Carolina, as will the Pixel 11 Pro XL that I reviewed recently.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a great device, but one problem it's had over the past year has been its size and weight, especially compared to other offerings in the space. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (it's closest competition at the time), the Pixel 10 Pro Fold was an absolute chonker. Pitted against the Razr Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it's a beast. One could argue that the extra protection that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold provided earned some allowances in that regard.
But the Pixel 11 Pro Fold has the same -- and even more -- durability, and it comes in thinner and lighter. Google shaved almost a millimeter off the thickness and almost 20 grams off the weight. The result is a phone that feels very similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Plus, the phone includes magnetic charging for Qi2.2/MagSafe compatibility, and Google added back glass that, according to the company, is nearly impossible to crack. That's saying something.
Also: I replaced my Samsung with the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold - a week later, I'm going back
In a world where many people you see in public are using phones with cracked glass, making something nearly impossible to crack is a big deal. Add to that the full IP68 water and dust resistance, and I would have absolutely loved taking that phone to the beach and reading on it. Don't get me wrong, I still like my Kindle, but the fact that I felt I had to change phones was annoying.