Editing photos on Google’s Pixel Fold has me completely sold on the form factor

I don’t particularly like editing my photos on a regular old slab phone anymore. Even on something as large as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the aspect ratio demands more zooming and panning than I expected. Slapping on a quick filter or making some light changes is fine, but anything more than that and I’m itching for my Mac or iPad. Keep in mind, none of this is the software’s fault; Adobe has released some phenomenal Lightroom updates this year, and indie developers like the team behind Pixelmator maintain speed effectively, That aspect of editing has never been better or more capable; It has to work within the confines of a small screen, which is the real limitation.

So when I was helping out with our Google Pixel Fold review last month, one of my main use cases was to test Lightroom on that big internal display. I was really excited by the idea of ​​having a large editing canvas whenever I needed it and a regular-sized phone (albeit bulky) when I didn’t need it. but then i started using the The Fold and I quickly realized how many apps completely fail to take advantage of the wide internal screen — and I became pessimistic about how Lightroom would perform.

To get a little inside baseball for a minute, Google sent over a reviewer’s guide that included a list of Fold-optimized apps, including third-party software like Netflix and TikTok. Snapseed, a lightweight photo editing app that Google acquired and has since largely forgotten about, somehow made it onto that list, but there was no mention of Lightroom. I became even more cautious when I went to set it up.

Thankfully, there was no reason for all that panic. Lightroom works like a dream on the Pixel Fold, switching seamlessly between both forms of the device. And yes, editing on that internal tablet-like screen is just as cool as I thought. Does the Pixel Fold noticeably warm up when you spend 20 minutes editing a 40-megapixel RAW file? Sure, but Google’s Tensor chips heat up when you’re browsing Reddit, so I can live with it for the larger real estate. And performance-wise, there’s nothing to complain about: The Pixel Fold kept up with my adjustments without stuttering or lagging.

Check out all that work space in the screenshot above. A nice touch is that, as you adjust the sliders, the menu becomes transparent, so you can see the effect even in parts of the image that might be obscured.

But it could be even better if the Pixel Fold had some level of stylus support. Do you know what becomes very annoying? have to use your fingers To remove dust or distracting background elements from the shot. I like finding and quickly getting rid of those things with the Apple Pencil on the iPad, but my index finger is less precise. I know I’ll get the benefit of stylus support on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but that narrow outer display isn’t practical for my large hands.

Google built in hardware integration for USI 2.0 Stylus It was ditched in the Pixel tablet but surprisingly on the $1,800 Fold. It’s a mystifying decision to me and looks like it’s destined to be fixed in the second generation model – assuming there is one. And it’s Google, so… nothing is ever guaranteed,

We also have to talk about those screen reflections. If you’re out during the day, the Fold’s interior display can be almost mirror-like. That’s why I suggest not to post-process your photos at the park or beach. But anywhere indoors, it’s easy enough to avoid any pesky glare. It’s easy to indulge in a 30-minute editing session at my local coffee shop, and I’m surprised it doesn’t drain the Fold’s battery.

The sensible thing to do would be to keep living the multi-device life and stick to a tablet or my MacBook Pro when I need to dive into some extensive photo work. But having that great big screen ready at all times is insanely compelling. Is $1,800 Compelling? I don’t think I can justify buying the Pixel Fold with my money, but I’m still using the review unit as my everyday device to see how it fares in terms of reliability over time Is. If it holds up, I’ll definitely pick up a cheaper model. Hopefully by then more apps like Lightroom will adopt the form factor.

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge