New renders and design details for the long-rumored Google Pixel Fold have emerged online, including display sizes and overall dimensions, as well as an expected launch date in the spring.
According to established leaker OnLeaks (via Howtoisolve), previous rumors were correct to claim that the Google Pixel Fold will adopt a form factor similar to the Oppo Find N. Google's foldable is set to feature a 5.79-inch outer display with a center hole-punch camera cutout, with a 7.69-inch inner screen and a right-aligned selfie camera cutout embedded in a slightly thicker bezel. The Samsung-built OLED panels are said to feature an ultra-thin glass (UTG) cover, also supplied by Samsung.
The display sizes are said to be housed in a rounded-edge chassis measuring approximately 158.7 x 139.7 x 5.7mm when unfolded, making it marginally wider than the Oppo Find N and approximately the same height, but with a slightly bulkier camera bump with an 8.3mm thickness.
The camera bump on the back side of the screen, reminiscent of Google's latest Pixel phone, houses a triple-lens strip with flash and microphone, while the SIM tray is located at the bottom edge of the outer screen. The USB-C port sits directly opposite when folded. The volume buttons sit on the right edge alongside a fingerprint scanner-equipped power button.
Previous rumors have suggested the Pixel Fold will be powered by Google's Tensor G2 chip processor and come with at least 12GB of RAM. The likelihood is that it will run Android 13. The starting price is expected to be $1,799, with black and silver color options available when the device launches in May 2023.
Google's foldable has been a long time coming. Documents leaked in 2020 suggested Google planned to release a in-folding smartphone in late 2021, but that didn't happen. Google didn't even mention foldable devices at its recent I/O developer conference, leaving some Pixel fans wondering if the device had been canned.
In 2019, when Google revealed it was developing technology that could be used in a foldable, it admitted in the same breath that it didn't see "a clear use case yet." However, well-connected Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst Ross Young has said the emergence of software innovations or a new chipset that Google wants to incorporate likely held back the device.
Meanwhile, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold and Flip devices having made inroads into the nascent market, and Google is in catchup mode. Where that leaves Apple is unclear. The company's long-rumored foldable iPhone is unlikely to launch until 2025 or later, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple's first foldable device may even be a hybrid iPhone and iPad, or simply a foldable iPad.
If or when its foldable comes, Apple's long game has allowed it to watch and learn. Early foldable devices had a long list of issues with screen quality and durability, which perhaps explains why Apple has yet to come out with a foldable device of its own.
