Google has unveiled its long-awaited first foldable phone, the Google Pixel Fold, at Google I/O 2023.
This device builds upon the success of the Pixel 7 Pro, featuring a 7.6-inch foldable display which currently sits as the thinnest foldable on the market. Pre-orders for the Pixel Fold are now available in the US and UK, starting at a price point of $1,799/£1,749 for the 256GB storage model and $1,919/£1,869 for the 512GB variant. Shipping is expected to begin in late June, with estimated delivery dates ranging from 27th June to 3rd July.
The Pixel Fold comes with the colour options of Porcelain (off-white) or Obsidian (black). When unfolded, the Pixel Fold measures 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8mm, offering a sizable yet lean screen. When folded the dimensions of the device come to 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm, which still means it is relatively slim when compared to its competitors like the foldable phones offered by Samsung. Despite the thinner stature of the Pixel Fold, it actually weighs in slightly heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 at 283g.
The phone features a durable hinge and an IPX8 water resistance rating. It sports Gorilla Glass Victus on the back and a polished aluminium frame for protection. The Pixel Fold has a 7.6-inch 1840 x 2208 OLED foldable display with a 120Hz refresh rate, as well as a 5.8-inch 1080 x 2092 OLED cover display with the same refresh rate.
The device is equipped with a triple-lens rear camera, including a 48MP primary camera, a 10.8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. It also features a 9.5MP cover display camera and an 8MP foldable screen camera.
The Pixel Fold’s battery capacity is 4,821mAh, offering over 24 hours of use or up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver mode. It supports 30W wired charging and wireless charging.
Internally, the Pixel Fold is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, similar to the Pixel 7 line-up, and comes with 12GB of RAM and a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage. It runs Android 13 and promises at least five years of security updates. The device introduces various features to optimise the foldable form factor, such as split-screen mode, dual-screen live translation, and a tabletop mode.
Additional features of the Pixel Fold include a fingerprint sensor in the power button, stereo speakers, and 5G support.
Overall, the Google Pixel Fold offers a compelling foldable phone option with impressive specifications and innovative features, despite the steep price point it sits at. Will the release of Google’s Foldable phone, which now leaves Apple as the only major phone brand without one of its own, cause an uptick in foldable phone sales? IDC Research Director Nabila Popal believes so, stating how: “Foldable devices currently bring that ‘wow factor’, and I believe they will continue to grab more headlines and outperform non-foldable smartphones over the next five years.” But with foldable phones account for no more than just 1% of the global smartphone market currently, this has yet to be seen.
