It’s almost surreal, but it’s now a reality: Google has finally entered the foldable market with the official launch of the Google Pixel Fold. The Google Pixel Fold has finally been revealed at the Google I/O event, after the company acknowledged its existence a few days ago. Google is not intimidated by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, and it has launched preorders for the Fold today at a whopping $1,799, as we predicted earlier.
As a bonus, the company is giving away a free Google Pixel Watch to those who want to be among the first to get the Google Fold. The Pixel Fold adopts a “book” style foldable design, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. It features a phone-sized display on the outside, which can be opened up to reveal a larger tablet-like screen.
The Pixel Fold takes a different approach compared to Samsung’s Z Fold 4, following in the footsteps of the Oppo Find N2. By default, the interior screen is oriented in landscape mode, resulting in a significantly wider exterior screen than the Z Fold 4. This wider exterior display makes it much more comfortable to use, as the Z Fold 4 is often criticized for its cramped experience on the outer screen.
When folded, the Pixel Fold sports a phone-sized outer display, which then unfolds to reveal a larger tablet-sized inner display. The Pixel Fold’s outer display measures a modest 5.8 inches, while the inner display is a larger 7.6-inch panel. Both displays are capable of a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and feature AMOLED technology. The outer display is protected by a layer of durable Gorilla Glass Victus, while the inner panel utilizes ultra-thin glass.
Similar to other foldable devices in the market, the Pixel Fold features a hinge that Google claims to be the most durable on a foldable device in the markets where it will be available. In addition, the Pixel Fold is also touted to be the thinnest foldable in these markets, measuring only 5.8mm thin when unfolded. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 measures 6.3mm thin when unfolded. When folded, the Pixel Fold is also more compact than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, measuring 12.1mm thick compared to Samsung’s up to 15.8mm.
The device also boasts a durable hinge that Google claims is the most robust of any foldable in the same markets. The hinge employs a droplet-style mechanism that allows the screen to recede when folded, minimizing the crease that is common in most foldable devices.
To add to its premium feel, the Pixel Fold’s construction uses a combination of alloys, including multi-alloy steel, which gives it an elegant and sturdy build.
In addition to its durability and premium build, the Pixel Fold is also water-resistant with an IPX8 rating, a feature that is uncommon among foldable devices. The device features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and supports Face Unlock, although the latter only works with the outer display’s selfie camera.
One unique feature that Google is launching alongside the Pixel Fold is the Dual Screen “interpreter” mode for Google Translate. This mode utilizes both the inner and outer displays simultaneously for translating conversations. However, this feature will not be available until the release of Android 14.
The Pixel Fold boasts a powerful hardware configuration that’s similar to the Pixel 7 Pro. It’s powered by Google’s Tensor G2 chipset, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, with a 512GB option available in most markets. In addition, it comes with a 4,821mAh battery that Google claims can deliver “beyond 24-hour” battery life. The phone also supports wireless charging, as well as the same charging speeds as Pixel 6 and 7 when wired. Overall, the Pixel Fold promises to be a high-performance device that can keep up with demanding applications and multitasking.
The Pixel Fold also boasts a solid camera setup, with a 48MP primary sensor that hasn’t been used in any other Pixel device. It is accompanied by a 10.8MP ultrawide and 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x zoom capabilities. On the front, there’s a 9.5MP camera located on the outer display, while an 8MP camera is tucked away in the inner display’s bezel. The cameras also support Google’s computational photography features, which have been highly praised in previous Pixel devices.
The Pixel Fold also supports Sub6 and mmWave 5G, making it a future-proof device when it comes to cellular connectivity. Additionally, it has Wi-Fi 6E support, ensuring that it will remain compatible with the latest Wi-Fi standards. Unlike previous Google phones, the Pixel Fold has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication, which may be more convenient for some users than traditional rear-mounted fingerprint scanners.
Google has unveiled several software features that come with the Pixel Fold. Users can expect the usual features found in other Pixel phones, such as the always-on display, song recognition in the background, live transcribe, Google Recorder, and the At a Glance widget. In addition to these standard features, Google has also introduced special folding features exclusive to the Pixel Fold.
This includes a split-screen option for the larger screen, a taskbar that simplifies navigation, a selfie feature that utilizes the main cameras, and more. These features make the most out of the Pixel Fold’s unique foldable design, and help to distinguish it from other smartphones on the market.
As mentioioned above, the Pixel Fold will retail for $1,799 in the US, with pre-orders now open on the Google Store. It will be available in two colors: Obsidian and Porcelain. A 512GB storage option will also be available for $1,919. Pre-orders come with a free Google Pixel Watch, valued at $349, and early orders are expected to arrive by June 27.
