Google is launching its first foldable smartphone: Watch a sneak peek at the new Pixel Fold
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Google has released an official video of its very first foldable smartphone: the Pixel Fold.
A video shows the sleek, silver device opening like a book with a vertical hinge, and featuring a rear camera array similar to other Pixel devices.
The tech giant has yet to release any technical details or price, as the full announcement will be made on May 10 at its developer conference, Google I/O.
This comes just a week after footage leaked on Twitter of an alleged Pixel Fold prototype, which looks very similar to the one in the official video.
With the smartphone, Google will be offering a foldable device along with Samsung, Huawei and many more of its rivals.
A video shows the sleek, silver device that opens like a book and features a rear camera array similar to other Pixel devices
The tech giant has yet to release any technical details or price, as the full announcement will be made on May 10 at its developer conference, Google I/O.
Tech fans are flooding social media with their thoughts on Google’s latest offering.
On the YouTube announcement video, enthusiastic users wrote, “Can’t wait to see what colors this comes in!” and ‘Finally I waited this long for it’.
Another added, “As long as there’s no visible and tactile crease, I’m there.” Otherwise you’re still waiting for all smart foldables.’
Videos of some foldable smartphones have shown an ugly crease in the center of the screen, which has put some consumers off.
Citing internal documents, CNBC said Pixel Fold will have the “most durable hinge on a foldable phone” and cost $1,700 (£1,350) and up.
By comparison, Samsung’s latest flagship foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, starts from $1,800 in the US or £1,649 in the UK.
Pixel Fold will open like a book to reveal a small 7.6-inch tablet-sized screen, according to CNBC, while the smaller outer screen will be 5.8 inches wide.
From the video, the front appears to have a full-sized screen that reaches the edges of the device like non-folding smartphones, but the inner screen has a thin bezel on the outside.
But some social media users are not impressed with the bezel and the sturdy unit that holds the camera lenses.
“Why does Google Phone always have so much bezel! I do not understand!’ noted one YouTube user.
Another wrote: “Baby is back, that camera bump…”
Citing internal documents, CNBC said the Pixel Fold will have the “most durable hinge on a foldable phone” and will cost $1,700 (£1,350) and up
When the Pixel Fold opens, viewers can see that the typical Google apps and widgets appear to be optimized for the larger screen.
The Android home screen has a Google search bar, clock, weather widget, and app shortcuts at the bottom.
According to the CNBC leaker, the Pixel Fold will feature a larger battery and therefore be heavier than Samsung’s Galaxy Fold (283g compared to 276g).
It will also reportedly be packed with Google’s Tensor G2 processor, which powers the latest Google Pixel 7 family of smartphones, released last October.
Official details about the upcoming device are scant, though the dedicated Google I/O web page features an intriguing image that appears to show two foldable devices facing each other.
The company is rumored to ship the Pixel Fold a month after the conference, which takes place in Mountain View, California, US.
Pixel Fold will open like a book to reveal a small 7.6-inch screen the size of a tablet, according to CNBC, while the smaller screen on the outside will be 5.8 inches wide
Google is also expected to unveil its new Pixel Tablet and Pixel Watch, all of which may include some AI-related features.
In March, the company launched its own AI chatbot, Bard, to rival ChatGPT, which had taken the world by storm.
Google executives are said to have declared a “code red” – an emergency – over fears that ChatGPT could now end Google’s $150 billion-a-year monopoly on search.
After entering the smartphone market in 2010 with the Nexus brand, Google kicked off the Pixel line in 2016, but none of these phones were foldable until now.
Interestingly, the largest Asian smartphone makers – Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo – have all released foldable phones, while the two US giants – Apple and Google – have not.
However, some enthusiasts have previously prototyped what a foldable iPhone could look like.
Google is also expected to unveil its new Pixel Tablet and Pixel Watch (pictured) at Google I/O, all of which may include some AI-related features
But while the stage is set for Google’s first foldable phone, Apple seems to be holding out longer.
According to a report, the unwieldy design of current foldable phones doesn’t fit Apple’s design philosophy, though the company is reportedly working on it.
Apple appears to have filed patents for a foldable phone, similar to a flip phone, with a horizontal hinge through the middle.
Other smartphone manufacturers releasing a foldable phone include Motorola, an American company based in Illinois.
The company released its second-generation Motorola Razr last fall – an updated version of its original “clamshell” Razr flip phones released in the 1990s.
The mobile phone turns 50! MailOnline takes a look back at the evolution of the device – from the first call on a £1.75 Motorola handset fitted with an AERIAL to today’s futuristic foldable devices
It can be hard to remember a time before we had mobile phones, now they have replaced maps, watches, calendars, cameras and many more devices and tools.
But the very first cordless handset made its first call 50 years ago today — the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, which weighed a whopping 1.75 pounds (784 g).
Since then, the device has shrunk considerably, losing its buttons and external antenna, but gaining a professional-quality touchscreen and camera lens – and even a folding mechanism.
To celebrate this milestone, MailOnline looks back at its evolution over the past five decades.
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To celebrate the anniversary of the mobile phone, MailOnline looks back at its evolution over the last five decades