The Google Pixel Fold is still just a rumor, and from what we’ve heard recently, it looks like it will stay that way for now. Even though Google hasn’t said much about its plans for a foldable phone, that hasn’t stopped rumors about the so-called Pixel Fold from spreading. If the latest Pixel Fold update is correct, we might have to wait a while for a foldable device from Google.
So, here’s what we know so far about the Google Pixel Fold and what the search giant has planned for foldable devices.
Google Pixel Fold Rumored Release Date
Try to stay with us. Last year, there were rumors that Google had scrapped plans for the Pixel Fold, but rumors about the phone keep coming up. Soon, display expert Ross Young (opens in new tab) said that Google would release the phone in the fourth quarter of 2022, after starting to put it together in the third quarter.
But Young now says that the Pixel Fold won’t come out this year. He bases this on information from the supply chain. A different report from South Korea’s The Elec also says that the Pixel Fold launch has been put off.
At this point, we think that the Pixel Fold won’t come out until at least 2023. The Pixel Fold didn’t show up at Google I/O in May, even though the company showed off a Pixel tablet that won’t come out until next year. This makes us think that the Pixel Fold isn’t even close to coming out.
Google Pixel Fold Price
Even though we don’t know the exact price yet, 9to5Google says that the Pixel Fold could cost less than the Galaxy Z Fold line, and more specifically, around $1,400, which would be a good thing.
The most expensive foldable phone you can buy right now is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which costs $1,799. At $999 and $1,399, respectively, flip phones like the new Galaxy Z Flip 3 or Motorola Razr 5G are a little more affordable, though “affordable” is a relative term in this case.
Google’s strategy with its most recent Pixel phones has been to undercut the competition. Both the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro have prices that are very close to those of other phones in the same category. In fact, we think this is one way the Google Pixels are better than the iPhone and Galaxy phones on the market right now.
The Pixel Fold might be able to do the same. Well, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 costs $200 less than its predecessor, so Google will want to be on par with or below Samsung’s latest products.
Google Pixel Fold name: Pixel Notepad?
A report from 9to5Google says that the Google Pixel Fold might be called the Pixel Notepad. If this turns out to be true, we would expect Google to support styli, but we don’t know yet. According to the same report, Google has thought of other names, such as “Logbook,” but we hope that’s out of the running.
For now, we’ll call it the Pixel Fold because that’s what most rumor mills are calling it.
Google Pixel Fold design
Animations in Android 12L give us the best idea of how the Pixel Fold might look. This version of Android is made for tablets and foldable phones. It has abstract pictures of a foldable phone that could be based on the Pixel Fold. If it is, we’ll get a device that folds like a book and has a full display on the outside as well as a big display on the inside. The device doesn’t look as tall and thin as something like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Instead, it looks more like the Oppo Find N, which has a squarer shape.
Most of the other information we know about Google’s plans for the Pixel Fold comes from the patents it has filed for foldable devices. One of these patents shows a device that opens on a hinge to show a bigger screen and can slide out a second screen for even more screen space. Intriguingly, another patent shows a foldable that can fold in three places.
Google Pixel Fold Specs and Cameras
Since Google’s Pixel phones have always been among the best camera phones, we’d expect the Pixel Fold, when it comes out, to do the same and put a focus on the camera.
That doesn’t always mean that the Pixel Fold will have a lot of lenses. Before the Pixel 6 Pro, Google didn’t like to add more than two cameras to its phones. The Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G only had the main lens, an ultrawide shooter, and a front-facing camera. Depending on how the Pixel Fold is made, Google could add more cameras, but the company seems to believe that less is more, focusing instead on making the best software for editing photos to make them better.
The only rumor we have right now is that the Pixel Fold will have one 12MP camera on the back and two 8MP cameras on the front. This comes from data found in the Google Camera app. When you compare it to the rival Galaxy Z Fold 3, which has three rear cameras, the single 12MP sensor is a letdown. Google may still be able to make sure that the Pixel Fold takes the best photos of any foldable phone with its software. Read Also; Google Pixel 7: Everything We Know So Far
It’s not clear how those two front-facing cameras are set up. The obvious answer would be to put one on the front with an outside display and another inside on the main unfolded display. But if the Pixel Fold only has one screen, the two cameras might work as a main and ultrawide pair.
Google Pixel Fold Software
Android 12 has better software support for folding phones that run Google’s operating system, so that’s probably what the Pixel Fold will run on. We don’t think Google will make a custom operating system for folding phones. After all, Google has worked closely with Samsung to make sure that its own apps work best on screens that can be folded.
Google is probably interested in making a Pixel Fold because they can add more foldable-friendly features to Android and then optimize them on a phone they make themselves.
So, Android 12L comes into play. As an addition to Android 12, this update adds features to Google’s software that are made for phones that can fold in half. In particular, you can expect that devices running Android 12L will have an interface that makes better use of a large amount of screen space. There will also be support for more ways to do more than one thing at once, like multiple windows and a taskbar.
Google may be trying out how the Pixel Fold’s interface could work in Android 13. In the first Developer Preview, it was discovered that switching between two different DPIs lets you have two different home screens that you can set up separately. Since this is how the inner and outer screens work on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series, it makes sense that Google is figuring out how to do this natively.
Google Pixel Fold Outlook
While the Google Pixel Fold’s status is still up in the air, we believe the moment is right for a Google-made folding phone. Read More; Pixel 6 Pro Review: Imperfectly Perfect
The progress of Android has demonstrated that Google is capable of producing a slick mobile operating system, especially when the Pixel Launcher is layered on top. As a result, we’re excited to see that strategy used for foldable phones, as software is still the part that holds them back.
If Google succeeds in this area, it may be able to produce a foldable phone that serves as a model for others to follow, maybe in terms of both hardware and software. Time will tell, as it often does, but we’re quietly enthusiastic about the possibilities of the so-called Google Pixel Fold.
