Google is apparently closer to launching its first foldable phone a lot earlier than leaks had predicted. WinFuture, citing information received from sellers, reports that the Pixel Fold is lined up for a market release in June. It appears that Google will at least give a brief teaser of the phone at its I/O developers conference in May, alongside the budget-centric Pixel 7a.
The report adds that Pixel Fold is the official marketing name of the foldable phone, and it will at least be up for grabs in the European markets in the second week of June. The eagerly awaited phone will be sold in a sole 256GB storage configuration, while color options on the table are Carbon and Porcelain.
The asking price, however, appears to be a tad high at 1,700 euros, which translates to around $1,800 based on current conversion rates. That’s squarely in the same territory as the Galaxy Z Fold 4. For comparison, the Oppo Find N2 — which is an inspiration for the Pixel Fold’s boxy looks — costs around $1,150.
Alleged renders of the Pixel Fold show a square-ish profile in the unfolded state, while the cover screen appears to be wider yet shorter than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4. Over at the back is a camera island similar to the Pixel 7 Pro that hosts three lenses.
What’s on the table for the Pixel Fold?
Leaks suggest that the external cover display will measure 5.79 inches, while the inner foldable panel will be 7.69 inches across, with both offering a 120Hz refresh rate. Powering the phone is Google’s custom-designed Tensor G2 processor based on the 5nm process. It will be paired with 12GB of RAM, while battery capacity is said to be somewhere around 5,000mAh.
On the imaging side of things, the Pixel Fold will lead with a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel sensor for ultra-wide capture, and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera. There are also a couple of 9.5-megapixel selfie cameras on the phone.
The Pixel Fold will likely ship with Android 13, given the current state of Android 14 testing and release schedule. However, it would be really interesting to see how well Google has optimized the software on its foldable phone since it would serve as Android’s showcase for how well it pans out on foldable phones.
The leaked launch timeline for the Pixel Fold is rather interesting, as previous reports had predicted a release somewhere around October, pushing in the same window as Android 14’s public arrival. Google has some really interesting UI and functional changes planned for Android 14, especially when it comes to large-screen devices such as tablets and foldable, and I can’t wait to see how well the Pixel Fold matures when it eventually gets a taste of Android 14.
