The rumors regarding the Google Pixel folding phone. Everything you need to know about the foldable Pixel is provided in this Article.
The idea of Google producing a foldable Pixel is still being discussed.
With folding phones being the upcoming big thing, it’s not surprising that brands are curious about where the technology may lead us, competing to dominate this market segment that is fast expanding.
Availability of Folding Pixel
Will Google launch a foldable Pixel?
The Google Pixel Fold will begin mass production in the 2023 third quarter, according to the most current report based on supply chain sources. It’s logical to anticipate that the release will occur in the middle of August, possibly around the time that Samsung’s own foldable Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made available.
Release date:
- originally predicted Q4 2021
- It might now be May 2023 or Q1 2023.
We might see something from Google in the second half of 2021, predicted by Ross Young of DSCC in December 2020. Young has a solid track record of reporting on upcoming display developments. A foldable gadget with the codename Passport and a Q4 2021 debut date was mentioned in an internal document that was leaked in August 2020, according to 9to5Google.
The construction of the display was then said to start in October and would be delivered fully constructed for Google to release a phone by the end of the year, according to a June 2021 report. On October 19, Google revealed the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, however, a folding Pixel was not part of the announcement.
Ross Young then asserted that Google withheld the folding device from the market due to pressure.
Young subsequently said in February 2022 that the foldable Pixel was back on track, with display production scheduled to begin in Q3 2022 for a debut in Q4 2022, more particularly in October.
Although The Elec stated in May 2022 that the device had been delayed yet more, this suggested that the foldable Pixel might come alongside the Pixel 7.
Although the analyst now claims Q1 2023, other sources, including a leaked roadmap, point to May 2023. An impending release appears more plausible than ever after additional leaks revealed support for Android 13 and excellent benchmarking results.
What will the name be?
Although it has been called the Google Pixel Fold by many, according to a report, the actual name of the product is the Pixel Notebook.
A number of codenames, including Passport, Pipit, Felix, and Logbook, have also been proposed.
These are currently only rumors, and we won’t know for sure until Google makes an announcement.
Design of Google Pixel Fold
According to the current reports, the Google Pixel Fold may first resemble a thicker Google Pixel 7 Pro before unfolding to expose a larger internal display similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Pixel Fold, in contrast to the latter phone, might have a shorter but wider exterior display, giving it a design something resembling the Oppo Find N.
A folding phone that falls between the Find N and Galaxy Z Fold 4 is suggested by new Google Pixel Fold renderings that appear to be based on leaked information.
A rendering of the Google Pixel Fold based on rumors that are currently known
The Pixel Fold’s later plastic dummy, which likely used these leaks as inspiration, was eventually made public and showed how the design appears, albeit without some of the functionality.
Mockup made of plastic of the Google Pixel Fold
When folded up, the foldable Pixel measures 158.7 x 139.7 x 5.7mm (6.2 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches), or 8.3mm deep (0.3 inches) if you count the polished metal camera bar in the design of the Pixel 7. It has an inner display that is 7.69 inches and an outer display that is 5.79 inches. Additionally, it will reportedly come in silver or black.
A rendering of the Google Pixel Fold based on rumors that are currently known
Key display information for the Google Pixel Fold has been disclosed by developer Kuba Wojciechowski, who notes that the inner panel is anticipated to have a resolution of 2208 x 1840. These specs are also quite similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which features a 7.6-inch internal display.
The leaker claims that the internal display will also feature a 120Hz refresh rate, however, he or she is unsure of this. We can observe that the panel has a peak brightness of 1200 nits and an average brightness of 800 nits.
According to one report, the Pixel Fold might offer a creative way to get around the notch. According to the report, the camera may be located on the phone’s bezel or it may not have one at all when the phone is opened up. This rumor appears to be true. The most recent Google patents depict an in-bezel camera rather than a notch or pinhole. To have the smallest feasible bezel, the Pixel Fold may decide to forego the under-display camera.
Hardware
- a 12GB RAM Google Tensor chip
Understandably, there is a significant paucity of knowledge regarding the hardware this phone may have given the current state of uncertainty surrounding the entire project. A purported Geekbench result for Google Felix, a codename supposed to be connected to the foldable Pixel, however, provided a reading that indicated it was the Google Tensor.
Android 13 appears to confirm that the Pixel Fold, once more going by the name “Felix,” uses the second-generation Tensor chipset. The Pixel 7 has proprietary Google hardware; to learn more about the chip, see our explainer story.
The 12GB RAM listed in the Geekbench report is the same as the Pixel 7 Pro, which makes logical given that Google would utilize its hardware in any smartphone it built. However, for the time being, it’s the best we have to go on. Of course, the entire thing could be false; alternatively, it could be an engineering device rather than a consumer product.
Cameras
50MP onboard camera
12MP for ultrawide, 10MP for telephoto, and 8MP for the front
When you mention the word “Pie” most people think of the camera. Even while the cameras on the Pixel phones are superb, the majority of the work is done by AI; computational photography, rather than hardware, is what shines through.
The camera system may wind up being on par with that of the Pixel 7 Pro, though, if rumors are to be believed. This entails a triple camera setup with an ultrawide, telephoto, and primary camera.
According to one rumor, the phone’s main camera could use a 50-megapixel Sony IMX787 sensor, a 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 sensor for ultrawide shots, and a 10-megapixel Samsung sensor for the zoom lens. This contradicts the notion that a Pixel 5-like system might be on the horizon. Instead, it appears like Google is putting all of its chips on camera gear, which is quite interesting.
Display
Display size: 5.79-inch cover and 7.69-inch internal
120Hz, LTPO was provided by Samsung Display.
The display is undoubtedly the focal point of any folding phone. This is where we have a little more knowledge because the original Passport device was said to be 7.69 inches in size.
At that size—the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 2—we believe it would be a book-style folder rather than a flip phone, contrary to the initial assumption that Samsung Display would be providing this flexible AMOLED panel. It is thought to be in-folding, meaning that the folded display is on the inside of the apparatus.
Additionally, it has been stated that the screen would have an LTPO display with a 120Hz refresh rate, similar to the Z Fold 3’s successor, the Z Fold 2.
The Pixel Fold’s cover display, which had been rumored to be 6.19 inches, will reportedly be smaller at 5.79 inches than the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s main display, according to some reports. To support those rumors, a patent application by Google that was published in August 2022 revealed that Google had been considering a foldable phone similar to the Fold with a camera in the main display’s bezel.
We don’t know much more than that. There has been no hint of the resolution or anything else, and Google’s approach to this device may have changed.
Software from Google Pixel Fold
The Pixel Fold will almost certainly run Google’s Android 12 operating system, which offers stronger software support for folding phones. We suspect Google would create a separate OS specifically for folding phones. After all, Google and Samsung collaborated carefully to make sure that their apps were suitable for foldable screens.
Galaxy z flip with Google Pixel Fold
Google’s software works with the Galaxy Z Flip’s Flex Mode. (Photo courtesy of Tom’s Guide)
Google’s interest in creating a Pixel Fold is likely due to the opportunity to integrate more foldable-friendly features into Android and then optimize them on a Google-built phone.
In this situation, Android 12L is useful. With this version of Android 12, Google’s software gained capabilities designed for foldable phones. Particularly, devices running Android 12L have an interface that better utilizes the huge amount of available screen space. Additional multitasking features like multiple windows and a taskbar are supported as well. The Android 13 update released in 2022 incorporates those modifications.
A Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 with the tablet-like UI displayed next to an Android 13-powered Google Pixel 4 XL.
Outlook for Google Pixel Fold
We believe the moment is perfect for a Google-made folding phone, even though the Google Pixel Fold’s status is still up for debate.
Google has proven they can create a user-friendly mobile operating system with the progression of Android, especially when the Pixel Launcher is layered on top. Since the software is still often the area holding foldable phones back, we are excited about the possibility of applying that strategy to them.
If Google is successful in that endeavor, it might develop a foldable phone that serves as a model for others to imitate, possibly in terms of both hardware and software. Time will tell in this case, but we’re cautiously excited about the possibility of the alleged Google Pixel Fold.
What does Google Pixel Fold cost?
The cost of the Google Pixel Fold is reportedly $1,799.
According to Front Page Tech’s sources, the Google Pixel Fold won’t be cheap when it launches in May 2023. This is in line with the leaked Pixel roadmap. It is planned to cost $1,799, the same price as the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Is a foldable phone good?
Quicker, smoother, and more durable With Qualcomm’s most recent top processor, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which is the most potent chip now available on Android and is also used by the Flip 4 and the OnePlus 10T, the Fold 4 is incredibly quick and fluid. The phone’s battery life varies more than that of a typical phone due to its two screens.