Mehul DasMay 04, 2022 11:48:42 IST
The rumours of a potential foldable mobile device from Google have been doing the rounds for quite some time now. With Google focusing a number of features in Android 12L around tablets and foldable devices, there is a very strong reason to believe that 2022 will be the year when Google finally launches a foldable Pixel device. And, the best bit, is that Google will be pricing the devices much lower than Samsung’s Z Fold & Z Flip phones.
When it comes to the software experience and prowess, no other Android smartphone comes close. The same, however, cannot be said for the hardware side of things. The hardware used in Pixel devices has consistently been a letdown, only to be salvaged by Google’s software integration. Things started to take a new direction with the new Tensor processors that Google has been using.
Rick Young, from the Display Chain Consultants or DSCC, recently put out a tweet sharing some details about Pixel’s upcoming foldable device, sharing what we can expect.
Z Fold 4 and Google foldable will have similar sized foldable displays, but the Google cover display will be quite a bit smaller at 5.8″. This should mean it will have a wider aspect ratio than the Samsung 6.19″ Fold 4. Hear more at our conference next week.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) May 2, 2022
As per Rick and his team, Google’s foldable device will be similar to the Samsung Z Fold 4 at least for the main display. The external cover display will be smaller at 5.8-inch.
He also revealed that the Pixel Fold should be launched in the last quarter of 2022, soon after Google launches Android 13. Android 13 is expected to be friendlier for foldable phones and devices with a wider aspect ratio.
Apart from Google’s software integration, the rumoured price point, if it turns out to be true, will be a major reason for Pixel Fold to dominate the foldable phone market. The Pixel Fold is slated to be priced at around $1400. Although this would make the Pixel Fold substantially more expensive than the cheapest Pixel 6, as well as Pixel 7, it would still be about $400 cheaper than the cheapest Galaxy Z Fold 3 & the Galaxy Z Flip 3. However, do keep in mind that for the upcoming fold devices, Samsung plans to reduce the price significantly.
One of the biggest gripes that customers have had with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, is the outer screen on the cover of the device. For many users, the narrow aspect ratio of the display has made it very difficult to use at times. It will be interesting to see whether Google actually releases the Pixel Fold worldwide.
