What the rumors have to say about the Google Pixel folding phone
Given that folding phones are anticipated to be the next big thing, it’s not surprising that brands are interested in where the technology may lead us as they compete to dominate this fast-developing market niche.
Here is all the information you require for the foldable Pixel.
What name will it have?
Although many people have been calling it the Google Pixel Fold, a report claimed that the actual name of the gadget is more likely to be Pixel Notebook.
A variety of codenames have also been proposed, including Passport, Pipit, Felix, and Logbook.
These are currently just rumors; until Google decides to make an announcement, we’ll know for sure.
Release date for Google Pixel folding phone
- Originally suggested for Q4 2021
- Possibly Q1 2023 or May 2023 at this time
Ross Young of DSCC, who has a solid track record of covering upcoming display developments, predicted that Google would launch something in the second half of 2021 in December 2020. A foldable gadget with the codename
Passport was mentioned in an internal document that was leaked in August 2020 and that predicted its release for the fourth quarter of 2021, according to 9to5Google.
It was then stated in June 2021 that the display’s production would start in October and be delivered fully completed so Google could release a phone by the end of the year. On October 19, Google revealed the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, however there was no foldable Pixel during the event.
Ross Young then asserted that market pressures were the reason Google decided not to release the foldable tablet.
Young later asserted that the foldable Pixel was on track in February 2022, with display production set to begin in Q3 2022 and a launch scheduled for Q4 2022, more precisely October. This speculated that the foldable Pixel might debut alongside the Pixel 7, but The Elec stated in May 2022 that the product had been delayed once more.
Now, the analyst claims Q1 2023, but other sources, including a leaked roadmap, indicate to May 2023. An impending release appears more plausible than ever now that additional leaks have revealed Android 13 support as well as benchmarking results.
Design
- maybe 158.7mm x 139.7mm x 5.7mm
- A book-like foldable/inward folding screen is described in a patent.
We have a solid concept of the design according to renderings made from leaked pictures.
There haven’t been many reliable leaks of the phone’s design, but a patent application dated 2021 (published in 2022) shows that Google is considering developing an inward-folding phone similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series.
If Google does introduce a folding phone, this is most likely how it will look. Something that folds out to be really huge would seem sensible given the increased support for folding phones and larger displays provided by software updates in Android.
Veteran leaker Jon Prosser is said to have seen images of the next gadget and ordered renderings to conceal his source. These renderings reveal a camera bump that isn’t too dissimilar from the Pixel 7 Pro and support the Galaxy Fold-style form factor.
OnLeaks is highly confident in his own renderings, which display an almost exact replica of Jon Prosser’s design.
Display
- Internal 7.69-inch, 5.79-inch cover display
- Samsung Display provided LTPO at 120Hz.
Of course, the display is the focal point of any foldable phone. Here, we have a little bit more knowledge, with the claimed size of the original Passport device being 7.69 inches.
The flexible AMOLED display was initially supposed to be provided by Samsung Display, and given that its size is same to that of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, we believe it would be a book-style folder rather than a flip phone. It is thought to be in-folding, which means the folded display is inside the gadget.
Additionally, it has been reported that the panel would have an LTPO display with a 120Hz refresh rate, just as the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s Z Fold 2 successor.
According to rumors, the Pixel Fold’s cover display will be less than the rumored 6.19 inches, measuring at 5.79 inches instead of the same size as the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s primary display. According to a patent application by Google that was released in August 2022, the company was considering creating a foldable phone similar to the Fold with a camera built into the main display’s bezel.
Beyond that, our knowledge is limited. Nothing about the resolution or anything else has been mentioned, and Google may have completely revised its strategy for this gadget.
Cameras
- Primary camera with 50MP
- 8MP front, 12MP back, and 10MP telephoto zoom
When you mention “Pie” people instinctively see a camera. Although the Pixel phones have given us amazing cameras, the majority of the work is driven by AI; computational photography, rather than the hardware, shines through.
However, if rumors are to be believed, the camera system may end up being on par with that of the Pixel 7 Pro. That entails a three-camera setup, consisting of a primary camera, a telephoto zoom, and an ultrawide.
According to one rumor based on information from Android 13, the main camera may use a 50-megapixel IMX787 sensor, a 12-megapixel IMX386 sensor for the ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel Samsung sensor for the zoom. This disproves the notion that a Pixel 5-like system is imminent. Instead, it appears like Google is investing heavily in camera hardware, which is really intriguing.
Hardware for Google Pixel fold
- 12GB RAM on a Google Tensor processor
It’s not unexpected that there is a serious dearth of knowledge on what hardware this phone may contain given the current state of this entire project. Thought to be a codename for the folding Pixel, Google Felix, a supposedly Geekbench report revealed a reading that indicated it was the Google Tensor.
In fact, Android 13 appears to confirm that the Pixel Fold is equipped with a second-generation Tensor chipset, this time going by the name “Felix.” The hardware in the Pixel 7 is manufactured by Google, and you can learn more about the chip in our explanatory article.
Given that Google would logically employ its own hardware in any device it built, the Pixel 7 Pro’s 12GB RAM is the same as that stated by Geekbench. It’s possible that the entire claim is false, or that the item in question is a technical tool rather than a consumer item, but for the time being, this is the best information we have.