We Put the Google Pixel Fold's Cameras Up Against the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4's
Foldable Phones
Speaker 1: This is the brand new Google Pixel fold. It costs $1,800 and has five cameras, and this is the Samsung Galaxy Z fold four. It also costs $1,800 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 a competition as you might expect. Before we jump in, I should note that next month, [00:00:30] 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 pick 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 four have three rear cameras, one cover screen camera, and one interior screen camera.
Speaker 1: Resolution [00:01:00] 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 force rocks a 50 megapixel sensor, not a huge difference. In other words, the interior screen cameras are different with the pixel sporting and eight megapixel sensor and the galaxy having a four megapixel sensor, though Samsung's camera is under the display, it's behind [00:01:30] 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 four has a three times optical zoom. And let me say this, that sensor resolution specs are like trying to compare the calories in food. A hundred calories of broccoli has different nutrients than a hundred calories of ice cream. So yeah, more megapixels isn't always better. So [00:02:00] how are the photos from both phones? Well take a look at some of my favorite photos from the pixel fold and Z fold four
Speaker 1: 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 [00:02:30] lunch area in Salesforce Park. The pixel folds, snap balances the exposure better. The details and the grass and tree leaves are better and the colors are more accurate. And yes, things were actually that green <laugh>, but Samsung's photo is messy, it's overly bright. Details are muddy and the color temperature is off. I mean, notice the green in 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 [00:03:00] did a good job of capturing the details on the foam of this cappuccino.
Speaker 1: The pixel folds photo looks more naturally. 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 tabletop, 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. [00:03:30] I don't know what that's about. Also, the tabletop is more out of focus. I don't know if that's something that Samsung's adding into it. It just looked a little weird. Next, let's take a look at photos taken indoors under mixed window light and low lighting. And here's where the differences 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 his fur and whiskers. Now the photo is soft, but it's not soft in a bad way. Sampson's [00:04:00] 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.
Speaker 1: 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 four, [00:04:30] 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 Samsungs that has a three times optical zoom. [00:05:00] And here's Samsung at a five times digital zoom and the pixel at a five times optical zoom.
Speaker 1: 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, 10 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 [00:05:30] 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 res zoom, which uses a combination of hardware, software, and AI to make it look better. Moving on [00:06:00] 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.
Speaker 1: Overall. The Galaxy foam 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 for more, and [00:06:30] 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 Samson Galaxy Z fold four. If you notice any differences, it's might be because the Google camera has eight megapixel resolution, whereas the Z fold four has a four megapixel resolution. However, [00:07:00] the Z fold four camera is under the display. This one on the Google Pixel fold is not. John, what do you think?
Speaker 2: Honestly, Dave looked pretty bad. I'm sorry, Patrick.
Speaker 1: And now let's talk about video recording. Here's a montage of some of my favorite videos I captured with both phones
Speaker 1: [00:07:30] 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 galaxies video looks brighter, but the colors are more oversaturated and it's brighter. Despite the image noise in the shadows and leaves being visible, [00:08:00] 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.
Speaker 1: Lastly, [00:08:30] let's talk about selfies and portraits. Now you have the option on both phones. It takes 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 at 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 [00:09:00] 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.
Speaker 1: So which phone has the best cameras? Okay, well, remember each of [00:09:30] 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 each 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 four are tops when it comes to phone cameras. But as far as these two phones, I lean towards [00:10:00] 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 wanna 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 [00:10:30] thumbs up. And if you wanna see more videos like this, please subscribe to C Net's YouTube channel. Thank you.
