We've been hearing rumors of a Google Pixel Fold for years and it finally looks like the phone might be landing soon.
At the moment, only a few companies make foldable phones, and Samsung dominates the market with phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. But it could soon have some serious competition.
Leaks suggest it could be called the Pixel Fold or Pixel Notepad, but the name isn't set in stone, which is why we're mostly calling it the Google Pixel Fold for now.
We've heard some details about the design, display, camera, and other potential specs, all of which you'll find below. We've also included information about a possible release date, which according to most rumors could be early to mid 2023, as well as price leaks.
As soon as we hear more about the Google Pixel Fold, we'll add it to this article, so be sure to check back regularly if you want to stay up to date.
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- What is it? Google's first folding phone
- When did it come out? Maybe May 2023
- How much will it cost? Maybe €1,799 (about €1,520 / AU€2,660)
Google Pixel Fold price and release date
Early leaks suggested the Pixel Fold would land in late 2022. It's something we've heard a few times, but with no sign of the phone at the Pixel 7 unveiling, it seems unlikely, too.
In fact, a more recent leak (from a different source) suggests that while a late 2022 release was apparently planned, the Pixel Fold won't land again until 2023. Another release date rumor confirms this, claiming that the phone it could land in the first quarter (that is, between January and March) of 2023.
That being said, the most recent release date rumor points to May 2023, so we may have to wait a bit longer.
We've also previously heard that the Pixel Fold has been cancelled, so there's a chance it might not arrive. But that claim comes from Ross Young, who most recently returned with one of the earlier leaks, saying it's now scheduled for Q2023 XNUMX, so he probably got it wrong earlier or Google put it back on the table.
In fact, the term "isPixel2022Foldable" has been seen in Google's code, suggesting the phone is coming soon.
We'd also take all of these leaks with a grain of salt, especially since some earlier release date rumors were false. For example, one report claimed that Google (among other companies) bought foldable phone screens from Samsung Display and went on to say that smartphones using these screens would be released in 2021.
The same site repeated the same thing more recently, and another leak about phones with Samsung Display screens said the Pixel Fold would launch in Q2021 XNUMX.
That, of course, didn't happen, but it could be that the Pixel Fold slipped into 2023, as it seems to now.
As for what it might cost, a leak suggests a price of around $1,400 (about $1,040 / AU$1,960). That would make it much cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but still expensive.
In fact, it could be the same price as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, with a more recent leak putting it at $1,799 (around $1,520 / AU$2,660).
Design and display
The main information about the Google Pixel Fold comes from a huge leak, which included unofficial renders, some of which you can see below. Although official, they are apparently based on images and information provided by a reliable source.
As you can see, the design here looks a lot like the Pixel 7 line when closed, but with an overall form factor that resembles the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line.
The Pixel Fold is apparently clad in metal and glass, and is said to only come in shades of black and white. It's also apparently very heavy, and you can see that there are large bezels above and below the main screen.
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(Image credit: FrontPageTech)(Image credit: FrontPageTech)There's also a report claiming that Google has ordered around 7,6-inch foldable OLED panels from Samsung Display, a claim we've heard a few times.
It's the same size as the main screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and big enough that the foldable Pixel can have the same form factor as the Galaxy, meaning a typical phone-sized screen when closed, but it opens like a book. to reveal a tablet-sized screen. That said, we can't rule out that it has a clamshell design like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
Another leak suggests that the display will have a 2208 x 1840 pixel resolution and offer up to 1200 nits of brightness and up to 120Hz refresh rate as well. The same source indicates overall dimensions of 123 x 148 mm.
That said, an animation found in Android 12L Beta 2 shows a foldable phone with a design more like the Oppo Find N, as short and wide instead of tall and narrow as the Z Fold 4.
You can see this animation above, and while it might just be a generic animation, it might also show the Pixel Fold.
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(Image credit: Google/USPO)(Image credit: Google/USPO)Elsewhere, we've heard that the Pixel Fold's cover display (its non-folding outer screen) could be 5,8 inches.
Beyond those leaks, we've also seen a Google patent showing a screen that opens to the size of a tablet, but can then be stretched out a bit more, like the roll-up phone concepts we've seen. That sounds ambitious for Google's first foldable phone, though, so we're not convinced it has that design.
Patently Mobile (opens in a new tab) also spotted two other Google Pixel foldable phone patents, one of which features a fairly conventional clamshell design, while the other has two hinges, allowing it to form a shape in Z when unfolded and go from smartphone size to full tablet size.
So Google seems to be experimenting with a lot of different foldable designs, but the company will likely go with a design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold, detailed above.
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(Image credit: Google / Patently Mobile)(Image credit: Google / Patently Mobile)Specifications and Features
Code spotted in an Android 12 beta suggests that the Google Pixel Fold will have the same modem as the Pixel 6 line. This suggests, but by no means guarantees, that it will also have the same chipset, i.e. Google Tensor.
This chipset was also spotted in a benchmark for the Pixel Fold, which further mentions 12GB of RAM and Android 12, and we've heard of the Tensor chipset elsewhere as well.
Since this chipset seems designed to take full advantage of the new cameras in the Pixel 6 range, that could also mean that the same cameras will be used as well, but we're not at all sure. If you have these cameras, you can expect a dual-lens or triple-lens setup, with main, ultra-wide, and possibly telephoto (4x optical zoom) snappers as well.
Yet another leak highlighted different snappers, featuring the Pixel 12.2's 5MP main camera, alongside the Pixel 12's 8MP ultra-wide and dual 6MP selfie cameras (one on each screen). This is something we have already heard many times.
According to a source, we are looking at a 64MP + 12.2MP + 10MP rear camera, so all the leaks and rumors are at odds right now when it comes to the camera on the back of the Google Pixel Fold. As for the selfie cameras, both are 9.5MP, while the leaked renders (above) show a triple-lens rear camera.
It's also possible that the phone has under-display cameras, as a Google patent has been found for the technology. That being said, the leaked images do not suggest that.
Beyond that, we don't know anything about the specs of the Google Pixel foldable phone, but we can speculate a bit. For one, it will likely run Android 12, but it will definitely work regardless of the latest version of Android when it launches.
Going through the standard Pixel range, it's likely to have decent cameras too, but perhaps fewer lenses than competing phones. We also expect the company's foldable to be 5G compatible.
Finally, a small tweak to the Google Camera software suggests that there is, in fact, a Pixel Fold on the way, and that Google is preparing its own software for it.