The Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 are two of the most impressive foldable phones available in the market, offering a unique blend of innovative design, advanced camera capabilities, and seamless user experience. In this article, we will delve into the details of both phones, comparing their cameras, performance, and overall features to help you decide which one is right for you.

First, let's take a look at the cameras on both phones. The Google Pixel Fold has a 50-megapixel primary sensor, 12-megapixel front camera, and support for up to 20 times digital zoom. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 boasts a 108-megapixel primary sensor, 40-megapixel front camera, and support for up to 30 times digital zoom. Despite these differences in magnification, both phones offer impressive image quality, with the Pixel Fold's camera performing slightly better in terms of color accuracy and dynamic range.

When it comes to low-light photography, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 seems to have an advantage, capturing more detailed images of the subject, even in dimly lit environments. However, the Google Pixel Fold's Super Res Zoom feature helps to enhance image quality, making the phone a great option for those who want high-quality photos without sacrificing too much detail.

One area where the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 excels is in its Night mode performance. The phone's camera manages to capture more vibrant and detailed images of the subject, even in low-light conditions. However, the Google Pixel Fold also offers excellent Night mode capabilities, using a combination of hardware, software, and AI to produce stunning results.

In terms of video recording, both phones offer impressive capabilities, but with some notable differences. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 108-megapixel primary sensor, while the Google Pixel Fold has an 8-megapixel front camera. However, the Pixel Fold's camera is more adept at capturing detailed videos, especially in low-light conditions. Both phones struggle with image noise and dynamic range, but the Pixel Fold seems to perform slightly better.

When it comes to selfies, both phones offer impressive capabilities. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4's cover screen camera performs better than the Pixel Fold's, capturing more accurate focus and exposure. However, the Pixel Fold's rear camera offers a brighter and more flattering selfie experience, making it ideal for those who want high-quality self-portraits.

Ultimately, the choice between these two phones comes down to personal preference and individual needs. If you're looking for a phone with exceptional camera capabilities and a seamless user experience, the Google Pixel Fold may be the better option for you. However, if you prioritize features like an amazing inside screen, fit and finish of hardware, and software options, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is definitely worth considering.

As both phones cost around $1,799, it's essential to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. While neither phone offers the absolute best camera capabilities, they both excel in their respective areas, making them excellent choices for those willing to invest in a premium foldable experience.

If you want to dive deeper into these cameras, check out my full written comparison on CNET.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is the brand new Google pixel fold it costs eighteen hundred dollars and has five cameras and this is the Samsung Galaxy Z fold 4. it also cost eighteen hundred dollars and has five cameras so naturally we had to see how the cameras on Google's first foldable stack up against those on Samsung's 11 month old z-fold and it's not as close to competition as you might expect before we jump in I should note that next month July Samsung is holding an unpacked event where we expect the company to announce the next galaxy Z fold and of course once they do we will happily pit the new z-fold against the pixel fold but in the meantime let's start by breaking down the hardware on both of these phones both the Google pixel fold and the Galaxy Z fold 4 have three rear cameras one cover screen camera and one interior screen camera resolution wise it's pretty close between what Google and Samsung each offer now the biggest differences lie with the pixel folds main camera which has a 48 megapixel sensor while the z-fold fours rocks a 50 megapixel sensor not a huge difference in other words the interior screen cameras are different with the pixel sporting and 8 megapixel sensor and the Galaxy having a 4 megapixel sensor though Samsung's camera is under the display it's behind the screen which is pretty cool the last main difference in Hardware comes down to the telephoto camera which on the pixel fold has a five times optical zoom while the z-fold 4 has a three times optical zoom and let me say this that sensor resolution specs are like trying to compare the calories in food 100 calories of broccoli has different nutrients than 100 calories of ice cream so yeah more megapixels isn't always better so how are the photos from both phones well take a look at some of my favorite photos from the pixel fold and z-fold 4. all right on the whole pixel fold photos have better details a wider dynamic range and are more color accurate and that's true even on a perfect summer day with blue skies which is one of the easiest environments for any camera phone to do well take a look at these two photos each taken with a main camera of a lunch area in Salesforce Park the pixel folds snap balances the exposure better the details in the grass and tree leaves are better and the colors are more accurate and yes things were actually that green but Samsung's photo is messy it's overly bright details are muddy and the color temperature is off I mean notice the green and the trees in the background and the sky here are two more from the main cameras this time the differences aren't quite as drastic now both did a good job of capturing the details on the foam of this cappuccino the pixel folds photo looks more natural I mean you could see this in the edge of the cup which is equally in Focus as the foam is as well as the texture of the table top which is naturally out of focus the z-fold force picture is strange now Samsung has a food Optimizer setting but I don't remember it being on and maybe it was I don't know but the edge of the cup is soft compared to the middle of the foam which is in focus and looks fine I don't know what that's about Also the table top is more out of focus I don't know if that's something that Samson is adding into it it just looked a little weird next let's take a look at photos taken indoors under make fixed window light and low lighting and here's where the difference is between Google and Samsung are huge in Google's photo of Pebbles the cat it handles the mixed lighting well but it also captures the details in this fur and whiskers now the photo is soft but it's not soft in a bad way Samson's photo well it looks bad It suffers from over brightening and it's marred by a ton of noise reduction which makes the photo of Pebbles the cat look more like a painting of Pebbles the cat all right now that I'm outside let's talk about the zoom range on both of these phones and just based off of the specs the end has to go to the pixel fold which has a five times optical zoom versus the z-fold 4 which has a three times optical zoom and I think in after using these phones for a little bit that that five times Zoom it's such a sweet spot it gets you a little bit closer it's far enough away that you don't feel like you're in someone's face and to be honest I really like it but let's take a look at the entire Zoom range of both of these phones and starting with the ultra wide camera on each now here's the main camera on each and here's the telephotos starting with Samsung's that has a three times Optical Zoom and here's Samsung at a five times digital zoom and the pixel at a five times optical zoom now which at five times magnification is hard to tell really well any big differences between the two aside from a slight loss of resolution now here are two photos ten times digital Zoom from both phones neither one to be honest looks great and here are both at their Max tele digital Zoom magnifications which is 20 times magnification on the pixel and 30 times on the Samsung now despite the vastly different magnifications both have about the same amount of zooming and cropping the photo looks basically framed the same Samsung's image has completely Fallen apart it's super soft and very processed the pixel folds photo isn't great but it looks better thanks to Google's super resume which uses a combination of Hardware software and AI to make it look better moving on to night mode things start to swing back to Samsung's favor both shots of these buildings were taken an hour after Sunset and both look good but the one from the z-fold four looks a little better overall the Galaxy phone protects the Highlights better in the moon or take a look at some of the light sources in the photo like the ones at the bottom and the middle now here are two more night mode shots again both look good to me I lean toward the one from the Galaxy Z fold four more and because it keeps the white balance more true to the scene and now for something completely different if I look and sound a little different it's because I'm recording this video with the inside camera over a zoom call on the Google pixel fold and here's the same Zoom call on the Samsung Galaxy Z fold 4. if you notice any differences it might be because the Google camera has 8 megapixel resolution whereas the Z fold 4 has a 4 megapixel resolution however the z-fold force camera is under the display this one on the Google pixel fold is not John what do you think honestly they look pretty bad I'm sorry Patrick and now let's talk about video recording here's a montage of some of my favorite videos I captured with both phones on the whole videos aren't great from either phone both suffer from image noise and a smaller dynamic range which with photos you get all that Ai and machine learning to help enhance that and videos you get a little bit less of that take a look at the two videos I recorded side by side while walking through Salesforce Park both look okay the Galaxy's video looks brighter but the colors are more over saturated and it's brighter despite the image noise in the shadows and leaves being visible the pixel does a slightly better job at protecting highlights especially in skin tones here are two more videos of a freeway exit in downtown San Francisco again neither of these videos is great but the pixel does a better job at protecting highlights the Samsung video prioritizes brightness over everything and again notice the Shadows with the image noise but the video on the whole has more contrast and doesn't look as good as the one from the pixel fold lastly let's talk about selfies and portraits now you have the option on both phones to take selfies several different ways the first is using the cover screen camera on each phone just like you would a regular phone now here's some selfies John and I took with both between both photos I think Samson's cover screen camera takes better selfies than the pixel folds cover screen camera it does a better job of nailing focus and I like how it exposed the photo a little brighter there's another way to take a selfie which because it's a foldable phone I can use the cover screen as a preview and take selfies with the main rear camera on each phone thank you very much and I do like being able to use the rear camera to take selfies but it feels more of a chore now between the two photos I like the rear camera selfie from the Samsung phone better the boosted brightness is just more flattering and this is just a great shot of John and I so which phone has the best cameras okay well remember each of these phones cost 200 shy of two grand and for that price you're paying for a phone that folds in half has two screens and five cameras but it does all of these things with less space for those cameras so an already small camera module on a regular phone gets even smaller on these phones so neither the pixel fold or the z-fold 4 are tops when it comes to phone cameras but as far as these two phones I lean towards the pixel more than the Samsung purely in terms of the cameras I do think the z-fold fours maturity shows in other ways like an amazing inside screen the fit and finish of the hardware and in terms of software options which seem less fussy than what's on the pixel fold to find and that's all I have for you if you want to go even deeper on these cameras check out my full written camera comparison on CNET and if you enjoyed this video which let's be honest you probably did give it a thumbs up and if you want to see more videos like this please subscribe to cnet's YouTube channel thank youthis is the brand new Google pixel fold it costs eighteen hundred dollars and has five cameras and this is the Samsung Galaxy Z fold 4. it also cost eighteen hundred dollars and has five cameras so naturally we had to see how the cameras on Google's first foldable stack up against those on Samsung's 11 month old z-fold and it's not as close to competition as you might expect before we jump in I should note that next month July Samsung is holding an unpacked event where we expect the company to announce the next galaxy Z fold and of course once they do we will happily pit the new z-fold against the pixel fold but in the meantime let's start by breaking down the hardware on both of these phones both the Google pixel fold and the Galaxy Z fold 4 have three rear cameras one cover screen camera and one interior screen camera resolution wise it's pretty close between what Google and Samsung each offer now the biggest differences lie with the pixel folds main camera which has a 48 megapixel sensor while the z-fold fours rocks a 50 megapixel sensor not a huge difference in other words the interior screen cameras are different with the pixel sporting and 8 megapixel sensor and the Galaxy having a 4 megapixel sensor though Samsung's camera is under the display it's behind the screen which is pretty cool the last main difference in Hardware comes down to the telephoto camera which on the pixel fold has a five times optical zoom while the z-fold 4 has a three times optical zoom and let me say this that sensor resolution specs are like trying to compare the calories in food 100 calories of broccoli has different nutrients than 100 calories of ice cream so yeah more megapixels isn't always better so how are the photos from both phones well take a look at some of my favorite photos from the pixel fold and z-fold 4. all right on the whole pixel fold photos have better details a wider dynamic range and are more color accurate and that's true even on a perfect summer day with blue skies which is one of the easiest environments for any camera phone to do well take a look at these two photos each taken with a main camera of a lunch area in Salesforce Park the pixel folds snap balances the exposure better the details in the grass and tree leaves are better and the colors are more accurate and yes things were actually that green but Samsung's photo is messy it's overly bright details are muddy and the color temperature is off I mean notice the green and the trees in the background and the sky here are two more from the main cameras this time the differences aren't quite as drastic now both did a good job of capturing the details on the foam of this cappuccino the pixel folds photo looks more natural I mean you could see this in the edge of the cup which is equally in Focus as the foam is as well as the texture of the table top which is naturally out of focus the z-fold force picture is strange now Samsung has a food Optimizer setting but I don't remember it being on and maybe it was I don't know but the edge of the cup is soft compared to the middle of the foam which is in focus and looks fine I don't know what that's about Also the table top is more out of focus I don't know if that's something that Samson is adding into it it just looked a little weird next let's take a look at photos taken indoors under make fixed window light and low lighting and here's where the difference is between Google and Samsung are huge in Google's photo of Pebbles the cat it handles the mixed lighting well but it also captures the details in this fur and whiskers now the photo is soft but it's not soft in a bad way Samson's photo well it looks bad It suffers from over brightening and it's marred by a ton of noise reduction which makes the photo of Pebbles the cat look more like a painting of Pebbles the cat all right now that I'm outside let's talk about the zoom range on both of these phones and just based off of the specs the end has to go to the pixel fold which has a five times optical zoom versus the z-fold 4 which has a three times optical zoom and I think in after using these phones for a little bit that that five times Zoom it's such a sweet spot it gets you a little bit closer it's far enough away that you don't feel like you're in someone's face and to be honest I really like it but let's take a look at the entire Zoom range of both of these phones and starting with the ultra wide camera on each now here's the main camera on each and here's the telephotos starting with Samsung's that has a three times Optical Zoom and here's Samsung at a five times digital zoom and the pixel at a five times optical zoom now which at five times magnification is hard to tell really well any big differences between the two aside from a slight loss of resolution now here are two photos ten times digital Zoom from both phones neither one to be honest looks great and here are both at their Max tele digital Zoom magnifications which is 20 times magnification on the pixel and 30 times on the Samsung now despite the vastly different magnifications both have about the same amount of zooming and cropping the photo looks basically framed the same Samsung's image has completely Fallen apart it's super soft and very processed the pixel folds photo isn't great but it looks better thanks to Google's super resume which uses a combination of Hardware software and AI to make it look better moving on to night mode things start to swing back to Samsung's favor both shots of these buildings were taken an hour after Sunset and both look good but the one from the z-fold four looks a little better overall the Galaxy phone protects the Highlights better in the moon or take a look at some of the light sources in the photo like the ones at the bottom and the middle now here are two more night mode shots again both look good to me I lean toward the one from the Galaxy Z fold four more and because it keeps the white balance more true to the scene and now for something completely different if I look and sound a little different it's because I'm recording this video with the inside camera over a zoom call on the Google pixel fold and here's the same Zoom call on the Samsung Galaxy Z fold 4. if you notice any differences it might be because the Google camera has 8 megapixel resolution whereas the Z fold 4 has a 4 megapixel resolution however the z-fold force camera is under the display this one on the Google pixel fold is not John what do you think honestly they look pretty bad I'm sorry Patrick and now let's talk about video recording here's a montage of some of my favorite videos I captured with both phones on the whole videos aren't great from either phone both suffer from image noise and a smaller dynamic range which with photos you get all that Ai and machine learning to help enhance that and videos you get a little bit less of that take a look at the two videos I recorded side by side while walking through Salesforce Park both look okay the Galaxy's video looks brighter but the colors are more over saturated and it's brighter despite the image noise in the shadows and leaves being visible the pixel does a slightly better job at protecting highlights especially in skin tones here are two more videos of a freeway exit in downtown San Francisco again neither of these videos is great but the pixel does a better job at protecting highlights the Samsung video prioritizes brightness over everything and again notice the Shadows with the image noise but the video on the whole has more contrast and doesn't look as good as the one from the pixel fold lastly let's talk about selfies and portraits now you have the option on both phones to take selfies several different ways the first is using the cover screen camera on each phone just like you would a regular phone now here's some selfies John and I took with both between both photos I think Samson's cover screen camera takes better selfies than the pixel folds cover screen camera it does a better job of nailing focus and I like how it exposed the photo a little brighter there's another way to take a selfie which because it's a foldable phone I can use the cover screen as a preview and take selfies with the main rear camera on each phone thank you very much and I do like being able to use the rear camera to take selfies but it feels more of a chore now between the two photos I like the rear camera selfie from the Samsung phone better the boosted brightness is just more flattering and this is just a great shot of John and I so which phone has the best cameras okay well remember each of these phones cost 200 shy of two grand and for that price you're paying for a phone that folds in half has two screens and five cameras but it does all of these things with less space for those cameras so an already small camera module on a regular phone gets even smaller on these phones so neither the pixel fold or the z-fold 4 are tops when it comes to phone cameras but as far as these two phones I lean towards the pixel more than the Samsung purely in terms of the cameras I do think the z-fold fours maturity shows in other ways like an amazing inside screen the fit and finish of the hardware and in terms of software options which seem less fussy than what's on the pixel fold to find and that's all I have for you if you want to go even deeper on these cameras check out my full written camera comparison on CNET and if you enjoyed this video which let's be honest you probably did give it a thumbs up and if you want to see more videos like this please subscribe to cnet's YouTube channel thank you\n"