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Google launched the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL recently with a bunch of improvements and new features. The company also made its latest foldable phone part of the lineup by calling it “Pixel 9 Pro Fold.” The latter is the most expensive among the bunch, but it doesn’t seem to support all the features of its siblings. For example, some of the Pixel 9 Pro series’ Video Boost upgrades aren’t available on the Pro Fold model.
Pixel 9 Pro series brought an improved Video Boost
Video Boost is one of those AI-powered features that Google has been working on for a while. The company debuted it on the Pixel 8 Pro, and the new Pixel 9 Pro series got an upgraded version. Just like the previous generation, the vanilla Pixel 9 is not compatible. The feature basically takes your videos and improves multiple parameters (sharpness, noise, color vibrancy, etc.) automatically. Video Boost allows users to get (mostly) better videos without going through manual editing software. While it works in all kinds of conditions, it’s especially useful for low-light video.
The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL got several Video Boost upgrades that make it even more complete. It’s still focused on automatic video processing, so there are no sliders to manually tweak parameters or something like that. However, now videos recorded in low-light scenarios will have even higher quality. The company also integrated HDR+ into video recording to improve dynamic range, focus, and details. The improved videos render twice as fast as on the Pixel 8 Pro too.
These Video Boost upgrades are not available on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Plus, Super Res Zoom Video noticeably improves the quality of video recordings while using the 5x periscope lens. While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold also has a dedicated zoom lens, a Google representative confirmed to Android Authority that it does not support Super Res Zoom Video.
Another big Video Boost upgrade on the Pixel 9 Pro series is the AI-powered 8K video upscaling. The feature can convert 4K videos to 8K without any noticeable loss of quality. Well, for some reason, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold doesn’t support this feature either.
The report doesn’t include a reason for the lack of support for those Video Boost upgrades on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This is especially striking considering that the device costs $1,800. There are also no details on whether Super Res Zoom Video and AI 8K upscaling will arrive on the device. So, if you’re looking for the Pixel phone with the best video quality, skip the latest Pixel foldable for now.