Skip to main content

Google’s rumored Pixel Fold could have same camera hardware as the Pixel 5

Google has reportedly been working on a foldable Pixel for next year, and new hints from Google’s Camera app, spotted by 9t05Google, could have just revealed some of the details of the camera hardware.

Going off of details hidden in the Google camera app, the Pixel Fold is now said to be code-named Pipit instead of Passport. This kind of change has happened before, including when Google swapped out the development platform of the Pixel Slate from Cannon Lake to Kaby Lake, so it is possible that a similar hardware change has happened here.

More interestingly, the camera hardware has been pegged as a pair of IMX363 and IMX386 cameras. The IMX363 would be the main camera, and it has been used previously in the Pixel series, from the Pixel 3 to the Pixel 5. The IMX386 would be an ultrawide camera only capable of being used when folded. Two other cameras would act as front-facing models and both would be 8MP IMX355, the same selfie cameras used in older Pixels. While old, these cameras are not particularly poor, and the Google’s Pixel 5’s sensors can keep up with even the iPhone 12.

A 2022 release date is seemingly confirmed by an “isPixel2022Foldable” reference in the code. As for how this could square with the Pixel Fold’s announcement in 2021, there’s a precedent in the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 6, as spotted by 9t05Google. For both of those devices, Google preannounced them and their selling points prior to their formal announcement, allowing developers a chance to start thinking about the new products.

The Pixel Fold being announced in — say — December, with a launch in March around the end of the Android 12L testing period, would be similar to the way Google rolled out the Pixel 6. With leaks and guesswork only likely to intensify, the more code for foldables existing in Android 12L, the better it would be for the company to tell its own story.

Editors' Recommendations

Michael Allison
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
Something strange might happen to the Google Pixel Fold 2
A person holding the Google Pixel Fold showing the hinge.

Google Pixel Fold 2 render SmartPrix / OnLeaks

It seems the “Pixel Fold” line is dead at Google after merely a single outing. Instead, Google is planning to fold it into the mainline Pixel series of flagship phones. According to Android Authority, which cites software builds targeting Google’s upcoming phones, the next Google foldable might go by the name "Pixel 9 Pro Fold" rather than the expected Pixel Fold 2 branding.

Read more
The 6 biggest announcements we expect from Google I/O 2024
Google I/O 2019

Google will hold its annual developer conference, Google I/O 2024, on May 14 in Mountain View, California. The event is about a month away, and we're expecting a few big announcements.

As with any Google I/O event, this year's conference will start with a big opening keynote presentation from CEO Sundar Pichai. But what actual announcements are we looking forward to? Here are a few of the biggest things that we are likely to see at Google I/O 2024.
Android 15

Read more
Here’s every color that will be available for the Google Pixel 8a
Google Pixel 7a in Snow leaning on lamp post.

What is there left to say about the Google Pixel 8a at this point? We've seen the phone's design in numerous renders and hands-on photos, its specs are all but confirmed, and we have a good idea of when it'll be announced. Well, one of the phone's last remaining details has now just been spoiled: the colors in which it will be available.

On April 12, Android Headlines published multiple official-looking renders of the Pixel 8a. The renders confirm the phone's design, which we've been seeing for months, including its rounded corners and dual rear cameras. For the first time, though, these new renders reveal the official colors the Pixel 8a will come in. There are apparently four to look forward to, including Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Mint.

Read more