The Google Pixel Fold has been on our radar for a while, even if rumors about the foldable phone have been quiet recently. Nevertheless, a number of Google watchers insist that we’re going to see a Pixel Fold in the coming year. So if that’s true, what should we expect?
Given Google works to make Android friendly for foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, there’s an argument that the search giant doesn’t need to make its own folding phone. But an idealized version of a foldable phone from Google’s perspective is still a tantalizing prospect. And it could mean more competition for the title of best foldable phone, which is always a good thing. (Speaking of competition, here’s how a Google Pixel Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 face-off could shake out based on early rumors about Google’s phone.)
With the caveat that there’s still more details about Googles foldable plans that need to emerge, here’s what we’ve heard so far about the Google Pixel Fold and the search giant’s foldable plans.
Actions speak louder than words
Back in 2021, I wrote that I was disappointed with foldable phones, which provided little to no revolution in how we use our phones on a daily basis, beyond the novelty of a screen that folds in half. Even today’s top models, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, are perfectly fine, but once you get over the initial fun of the fold, they’re really just another Android phone. The problem is that with less common sizes and aspect ratios being used on today’s foldables, apps and games don’t natively run properly. The audience is small, and developers don’t have the motivation to put in the time, effort and cost to develop their apps for odd shapes and sizes.
But Google might change that soon enough, with a rumored foldable Pixel phone that could appear at Google I/O in May. The company is in a unique spot to address software concerns while creating compelling phone hardware that doesn’t break the bank.
I remember when I got the first-generation Galaxy Fold and felt genuinely excited at seeing the screen bend in the middle. And I remember the various strangers who’d stop and ask to see it when I used it in public — with one bartender so entranced with the demo I gave that he returned the favor with a free beer.
