The rumors are true! Google’s next smartphone will fold in two. The Pixel Fold will mark the search giant’s entry into a category that is already dominated by Samsung, followed by a few Chinese brands. The stakes are high, and the foldable should do well with its compact form factor and a hinge that is said to be the most durable one yet.

Google has confirmed that it will launch the Fold on 10 May at the Google I/O conference, likely alongside the Pixel 7a and Pixel Tablet. However, you won’t have to wait that long to learn about the foldable because there has already been a flurry of leaks and rumors. In this post, we have compiled everything that is currently known about the Pixel Fold. Let’s dive in.

Pixel Fold: Design & Display

In the past few years, the foldable smartphone category has seen many additions, and most of them have followed a book-style approach. This orientation was popularized by Samsung with its Galaxy Z Folds, and other brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Honor have since followed suit. Google’s upcoming Pixel Fold is also set to adopt the same form factor.

The Big G has already released official images of its upcoming smartphone, and the design is not particularly surprising. Following the trend set by the Pixel 6 series, the tech giant has adopted a bar-shaped camera module for its phones, which was further refined with the Pixel 7 series. The Foldable device will feature a similar module on the rear.

If you take a look at the back of the device, you will notice that it is quite similar to the Pixel 7 Pro, featuring a glossy glass back panel and a shiny camera bar. However, unlike the flagship, the Pixel Fold lacks an edge-to-edge camera bar. Instead, it gets what looks like a large camera bump.

There’s a different story on the inside though. Once you’d open the device, you might rub your eyes in disbelief and say “Bezels!”. They are indeed thick but we do hope the phone will feel fine in person. The important thing is, they’re symmetrical on all four sides and ultimately, the aspect ratio of the screen is what matters most. One upside of this design is that Google doesn’t have to allocate space for a hole-punch camera or resort to under-display cameras, which can cause permanent screen distortion.

While we are at the design, let’s also talk about the hinge— a component that is the backbone of any foldable (quite literally). Youtuber Dave2D revealed the Pixel Fold will use a new teardrop hinge mechanism to minimize the visible display crease. The inner screen is said to have a gentler fold angle thanks to a hinge design similar to the Oppo Find N2. The mechanism will allow the smartphone to completely shut without leaving any gap between the two halves, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

As for the display, the Pixel Fold is reported to use a Samsung-made panel, with a resolution of 1840×2208 and dimensions of 123mm x 148mm (7.6in diagonally). The display will support 1200 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone will have a 5.8-inch display on the front.

Pixel Fold: Specifications

The Pixel Fold will feature Google’s in-house Tensor G2 chipset, similar to the latest Pixel 7 series. It will likely be offered in either white or black with 256GB storage or exclusively in black with 512GB storage.

While there isn’t much information available about the smartphone’s cameras, a report suggests that it will have a triple rear camera setup with a primary 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor, a Samsung S5K3J1 telephoto lens with a 10.8MP resolution, and a 12MP Sony IMX386 ultrawide lens. The front-facing selfie camera is an 8MP Sony IMX355, and there is another Samsung S5K3J1 camera on the front.

The Google Pixel Fold is rumored to have the largest battery among foldable smartphones. While it won’t reach the 5000mAh mark, it is expected to exceed the 4400mAh battery of the Z Fold 4 and the 4520mAh cell of the Oppo Find N2. According to a tipster, the Pixel Fold’s battery will have a capacity of 4,821mAh and support 30W charging. It is claimed to last up to 72 hours, although this is likely on standby mode. On the software front, the device will run Android 12L— an Android version tailor-made for tablets and foldables.

Pixel Fold: Price

To be successful in this cutthroat market, the Pixel Fold needs to be competitively priced, regardless of its features. Unfortunately, early reports suggest that it may be on the expensive side. It is expected that there will be two storage options: 256GB and 512 GB. The 256GB variant may sell for $1,799 and will come in Chalk and Obsidian colors. Meanwhile, the 512GB model may only be available in Obsidian and could cost as much as $1,919.

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