I switched from a big foldable to a small Pixel 9 Pro and I’m not going back anytime soon

Foldable phones are undeniably cool. The idea of carrying a tablet-sized display that folds neatly into your pocket still amazes me. As a journalist covering consumer tech, I’ve had the privilege of using a wide range of devices. But when it comes to putting my SIM card back in my phone, the OnePlus Open has been my choice for the last year.

At first, the Open seemed like the perfect companion for me. The larger screen was great for juggling documents, Excel sheets, and even unwinding with a movie on a flight. In fact, for a while, I stopped carrying my iPad altogether. But here’s the thing: Those “big screen moments” were far less frequent than I anticipated. More often than not, I found myself using the foldable in its closed form, which, ironically, has pretty much the same screen size as the smaller Pixel 9 Pro.

And that’s where the Pixel 9 Pro entered the picture. After a year of lugging around a bulky foldable, switching to the compact Pixel 9 Pro has been a revelation. And I’m not going back. Here’s why.

Foldable phones promise a lot — and in many ways, they deliver. But there’s a big gap between how you imagine you’ll use a foldable and how you actually do. Sure, I enjoyed reviewing presentations and navigating spreadsheets on the larger display. Split-screen multi-tasking using Open Canvas has been absolutely fantastic. Yet, for most tasks, I still reached for my laptop or tablet. That’s mostly due to the software lagging behind the hardware experience.

The truth is, my smartphone usage doesn’t revolve around gaming or binge-watching. For me, the folding screen became a feature I liked but didn’t truly need. Adding to this, the foldable required more careful handling than I was willing to give it.

The Pixel 9 Pro, on the other hand, keeps things refreshingly simple. Its 6.3-inch screen is just the right size for swiping through decks, browsing, and social media. With a bit of finagling, I can even review Excel sheets on it. But that’s a small compromise for the sheer portability of the phone.

Between foldables and large phones touching almost 7 inches in size, the diminutive size of the Pixel 9 Pro is a breath of fresh air. It fits comfortably in my hand and in my not-upto-2024-standards skinny jeans. I can easily reach the top of the phone — something I haven’t been able to do in years. These might come across as small things, but they all add up. As my use case evolves, and I spend more and more time in front of my computer or tablet, I love a smartphone that prioritizes being a smartphone instead of an all-encompassing computer in my pocket.

The fact that all of that comes as a no-compromises flagship just makes it all the more excellent. You see, for the longest time, the only real option for a compact flagship was an iPhone. While I do have one foot in the iPhone world, my primary platform remains Android, and for a very long time, there was no real alternative. The Pixel 9 Pro is that phone. Moreover, this year, Google has seriously stepped up its game with the hardware quality so much that I have no qualms about chucking the phone about or tossing it on the couch when I’m unwinding for the day.

Of course, durability is just one aspect of a phone. The one feature that I’m not willing to compromise on is the camera. My camera might always be within reach, but my smartphone camera gets used multiple times a day to capture the neighborhood cat begging at my window for food or other funny moments. The Pixel 9 Pro gives the same full-featured camera as the full-size Pixel 9 Pro XL with no cutbacks. For way too long, a compact phone has meant a nerfed sensor or gimped telephoto sensor. That’s not the case anymore, and I’m all in on it.

Google’s work on polishing the Pixel experience has also paid dividends. I had serious inhibitions over the Pixel 9 Pro’s battery life. The physical capacity is much lower than any phone I’ve used recently, and the Tensor chip isn’t known to be the most frugal around. However, battery life hasn’t been a concern at all.

A large part of that comes down to how I use my phone. Social media, browsing, phone calls, and music streaming don’t tax the processor nearly as much as games do. However, I absolutely did not expect to get a day and then some of use out of this phone. That’s, frankly, impressive.

I’m also delighted by the fact that I have access to wireless charging again. I’ve got wireless chargers strewn across my house, and it’s my preferred way to top up a phone. Is it the most efficient way? No. But as someone who really only charges my phone overnight, it works for me. Sure, my other foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, does have wireless charging, but the arrangement of the coils makes it too cumbersome to align with most of my chargers. The Pixel 9 Pro, on the other hand, is effortless.

The Pixel 9 Pro has reminded me why I love a phone that gets the basics right. Foldable phones like the OnePlus Open are undeniably impressive and fun to use, but for my day-to-day needs, the Pixel 9 Pro strikes the perfect balance between form and function. It’s compact, durable, and effortlessly capable, offering a no-compromise flagship experience in a size that feels just right.

Whether it’s the exceptional camera, the ease of wireless charging, or the portability that fits seamlessly into my lifestyle, the Pixel 9 Pro has become the ideal companion for how I use a phone today. It doesn’t try to be a tablet, a gaming rig, or a portable theater — it’s a smartphone that excels at being just that. For me, that’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.