This strange prototype of a foldable Google phone is a bizarre mix of Google and Samsung design β and it was up for sale
What’s claimed to be a prototype foldable phone from Google appears to have gone up for sale online, and it gives us some insight into the development process for the Google Pixel fold.
Android tipster Mishaal Rahman saw the mention and posted the images, sourced from eBay, on X, They show off a device codenamed ‘Jumbojack’, which is believed to be one of two early foldable phone prototypes from Google; the other was reportedly called ‘Passport’.
The experimental phones were likely created to test Android on a foldable phone before Google moved on to the Pixel Fold, which debuted in 2023.
The message shows what appears to be a custom message Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 running Android 12L, a variant of Android 12 made for tablets and foldable devices.
Rahman wrote in their post on The hardware is Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2, while the software is Android 12L. Someone naughty put this up for sale online.β
It is believed that the strange code name is a reference to the Jumbo Jack cheeseburger from American fast food chain Jack in the Box. 9to5Google, which was first made aware of the prototype’s existence in 2021. At the time, the codename was believed to be a reference to a clamshell-style design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Jumbojack appears to be a sort of Frankenstein mix of components, including thicker top and bottom bezels, which look more like the Pixel Fold’s final design than the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Based on this, other tweaks could be happening under the hood as well , depending on what Google was testing, which may have been left out of the final release of the Pixel Fold.
This would be “jumbojack”, a prototype Google used to test the Android software experience on foldable devices before they had working Pixel Fold prototypes. The hardware is Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2, while the software is Android 12L. Someone naughty put this up for sale onlineπΏ pic.twitter.com/9GbTWj1CU4February 14, 2024
Rahman did mention that the phone was on eBay, but not how much it sold for, and the listing appears to have disappeared. It’s probably best avoided, though, as it could be a stolen prototype, and one that Google would likely shut down remotely as a result.
The phone also wouldn’t have much value to anyone other than collectors, and would likely offer less functionality than the Pixel Fold due to its older and possibly unfinished hardware and software.
Jumbojack is an interesting piece of technology history, never really intended for use or to see the light of day outside of Google. And upon closer inspection, we can’t really get any clues as to what to expect from the rumors Google Pixel Fold 2.
Speaking of which, it’s suggested that the second-generation Pixel Fold could arrive at the same time as the highly rumored Google Pixel 9. This is because Google is apparently waiting to equip its next foldable phone with a powerful Tensor G4 chip to help it compete with other chipsets like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, as found in the OnePlus 12.
An upgraded Pixel Fold could become one of our top picks best foldable phonesjust like its predecessor.