It didn't take long for me to figure out that I liked the Pixel Fold more than Samsung's fourth-generation Galaxy Z Fold4. You might think that, for a folding phone that opens up like a book, it's all about the quality and experience of the large inner screen, but you'd be wrong. Nope, the front screen is just as important, and Google got that detail right on its first-ever foldable device.
For the majority of the time I spend using the phone, my eyes are fixed on the 5.8-inch exterior screen, because I don't always need to use the large one on the inside. The aspect ratio of the outside screen is wider than what you'll find on Samsung's booklike folding phone. It makes the Fold feel like a normal smartphone. I've used this screen extensively without ever feeling like it's cramped. Once you nail this, the rest is gravy.
The Pixel Fold's 5.8-inch AMOLED front screen is pretty perfect. Since it's not too tall, I can reach all parts of the display with my fingers (though I should note that I do have big paws). It's wide, and every app I've used looks great on it, especially thanks to the sharp Full HD+ resolution and 120-Hz screen refresh rate. It gets bright too—brighter than any other Pixel phone—which means I never have trouble reading the screen on a sunny day.
Yes, the Fold is thicker than a normal smartphone (12.1 mm versus 8.9 mm when compared to the Pixel 7 Pro), but it's noticeably thinner than Samsung's Fold4, which is 15.8 mm at its thickest point. Samsung's phone forms a wedge shape when closed, with a small gap between the screens near the hinge. The Pixel maintains the same thinness from edge to edge when closed, and doesn't have a gap between the screens. The thickness is manageable. My wife, who has significantly tinier hands than I do, says she found it easier to hold and use compared to Samsung's phone.