I don’t particularly like editing photos on my regular old cell phone. Even with something as large as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the aspect ratio forces me to zoom and pan more than I’d like. Applying a quick filter or making minor adjustments is fine, but beyond that I’m itching for a Mac or iPad. Mind you, none of this is the software’s fault. Adobe has rolled out some incredible Lightroom updates this year, and indie developers like the team behind Pixelmator have kept pace admirably. This aspect of editing has never been better and better. It has to work within the confines of a small screen and that’s the real limitation.
So when I was helping review the Google Pixel Fold last month, one of my primary use cases was testing Lightroom on its large internal display. I was really excited about the concept of being able to have a large editing canvas whenever I needed it, and a normal-sized (albeit heavy) phone when I didn’t.But then I started using After using the Fold, I quickly realized how many apps didn’t take full advantage of the huge inner screen. And I became pessimistic about what his Lightroom would be.
For a little insider baseball, Google sent out a guide for reviewers with a list of Fold-optimized apps, including third-party software like Netflix and TikTok. Snapseed, a largely forgotten lightweight photo editing app since its acquisition by Google, somehow made it onto that list, but Lightroom was not mentioned at all. So I was even more careful when installing.
Thankfully there was no reason for such a surprise. Lightroom on Pixel Fold works like a dream, seamlessly switching between forms on both devices. And yes, editing on the tablet-like inner screen is just as good as I imagined. Does the Pixel Fold noticeably warm up after 20 minutes of editing a 40 megapixel RAW file? That’s true, but Google’s Tensor chip heats up just browsing Reddit. , is tolerable in a large environment. When it comes to performance, there’s little to complain about. The Pixel Fold has kept up with my adjustments without bogging down or falling behind.
See all workspaces in the screenshot above. One of the cool things is that when you adjust the slider, the menu becomes transparent, so you can see the effect even in the hidden parts of the image.
However, this could be even better if the Pixel Fold had some stylus support.You know what’s going to be so cumbersome? finger Remove dust and distracting background elements from your shots. I love using her Apple Pencil on his iPad to find those things and quickly remove them, but my index finger isn’t as precise. I know I’d benefit from the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s stylus support, but the narrower display on the outside isn’t practical for my larger hands.
Google built USI 2.0 stylus hardware integration into the Pixel Tablet, but surprisingly omitted it from the $1,800 Fold. This is a puzzling decision to me and seems destined to be fixed in the 2nd gen model (assuming there is a 2nd gen model). And since this is Google, nothing is guaranteed.
We also have to talk about screen reflections. When you’re outside during the day, the Fold’s internal display can look just like a mirror. Therefore, it is not recommended to post-process photos in parks or beaches. But it’s pretty easy to avoid annoying glare anywhere indoors. He’s often stuck in a 30-minute editing session at his local coffee shop, and he was surprised that the Fold’s battery didn’t drain.
The smart thing to do would be to stick with your multi-device life and stick with your tablet or MacBook Pro when you need to do big photo jobs. But having that bright big screen at your fingertips at all times is irresistible. Is $1,800 attractive? I don’t think I could justify buying his Pixel Fold with my own money, but I still use this review unit as my daily device and how it fares in terms of reliability over time. Checking for progress. If this continues, I would like to purchase a cheaper model. By then, expect more apps to adopt the same form factor as Lightroom.
Photo: Chris Welch/The Verge
