Is this Google’s first foldable phone? Leaked video claims to show a real-life Pixel Fold device

Unlike Samsung, Huawei and many more of its smartphone rivals, Google has yet to release a foldable phone, but that could change soon.

Leaked images of what is believed to be Google’s first foldable phone – dubbed the Pixel Fold – have been posted to Twitter.

It shows a stylish black smartphone with a screen on the outside that unfolds to reveal a second tablet-sized display on the inside.

Although it is not known for sure whether this is a Google device, the American technology giant is expected to announce the Pixel Fold as early as next month.

Apple is another tech giant that has yet to launch a foldable phone, although some iPhone fans have previously prototyped what this could look like.

The new video that claims to show off the Pixel Fold was posted by ‘reliable’ leaker Kuba Wojciechowski, who told the edge that it was filmed over a month ago.

As The Verge points out, there’s no sign of any official Google branding or logos on the device, so it could even be a Samsung prototype.

MailOnline has contacted Google for comment.

Google is rumored to announce the Pixel Fold at its annual developer conference, Google I/O, on May 10 before the smartphone ships next month.

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.

Pixel Fold will also feature a larger battery and will 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.

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, Motorola, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo – have all released foldable phones, while the two US giants – Apple and Google – have not.

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.

Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, previously said there’s “really no need” for Apple to move in the foldable direction right now.

“You can bet it’s had flexible display technology in its labs for the last decade,” he told MailOnline.

“But right now there’s no commercial need for Apple to risk piling into a niche market when the iPhone is so incredibly successful.”

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.