Google Pixel Fold Leak Teases Price, Launch Date, And Key Features
Competition is good, especially in the foldable arena where customers are begging daily for prices to come down. At least there is more than one viable option now, and several reputable rumors have long tipped us off to Google's plan for adding another — the Pixel Fold, which first tickled the smartphone world in 2021. After several delays, it sounds like we may finally be nearing a release. According to a new CNBC report, the Pixel Fold will be announced this May at Google I/O. Since its debut, the developer conference held in San Francisco has historically been software-oriented, but Google has announced devices there in previous years. The leak claims the foldable will then get its launch only weeks later in June.
The race for smaller price tags may begin with the Pixel Fold's launch, albeit barely. Google is supposedly targeting a $1,700 retail price, which undercuts the Galaxy Z Fold 4 by $100. You might be able to snag the Oppo Find N2 for considerably less — if you can find it in the United States, that is. The report suggests that the Pixel Fold will have a stronger hinge (the strongest, it claims) to help you unfold the phone into a 7.6-inch tablet form factor. The outer screen will be 5.8 inches diagonally, about 0.4 inches shy of Samsung's. While this report still hasn't produced the official renders we're salivating for, previous concepts leave us with some specs to ponder.
What else we know about the Pixel Fold
Documents reveal that the device will be marketed as water-resistant and pocket-sized. Expected to weigh 10 ounces, the Pixel Fold would be slightly heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. But the extra heft comes with a bigger battery enabling a 24-hour runtime (or up to 72 hours in a low-power mode). As you'd expect, Google plans to equip the Pixel Fold with its in-house Tensor G2 chip. That's the same processor powering the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Thus far, they've proven to be performance champs.
And while today's report doesn't allude to it, the Tensor G2 might also enable some of the same camera tricks those smartphones were blessed with. Previous rumors have stated that Google might use the same 50-megapixel resolution, too, albeit with the older sensors found in the Pixel 6 series. Either way, that would be a huge selling point against a field struggling to provide impressive optics.
If you're sold, you can start to assess the trade-in value of your current phones, as the report comes with word that Google will take your older device to help make the Pixel Fold a more manageable buy price-wise. And you might even get a free Pixel Watch to throw on your wrist if you buy one ahead of the street date. We're less than a month away from all the official details if this report holds weight.