Achim Maier
The Google I/O is the annual developer conference of the search engine group. But this year it seems the company’s latest hardware will be the primary focus. Rumors have been circulating for months that several new devices will take the stage. These include the Google Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel 7a. Now, Google has finally confirmed itself that the first foldable Google smartphone is coming to this year’s I/O, which takes place on May 10th. The Californians posted a short teaser video on their Twitter account, which leaves little to the imagination.
The video confirms several leaks. Unfortunately, that includes the rather thick top and bottom bezels surrounding the main display. No other manufacturer of foldables uses such wide frames. You can also see antenna lines, which indicate a metal housing, and a triple camera setup on the back, which looks identical to the Google Pixel 7 Pro. In this case, we would expect a 50-megapixel main camera with a large 1.31-inch sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with a 126-degree field of view, and a 48-megapixel 120mm zoom camera. This would make the Pixel Fold the first foldable with a true flagship camera setup.
In terms of size, the Google Pixel Fold is based more on Oppo’s Find N and Find N2 than on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold4. The displays are smaller overall, and the main display is in landscape format when opened. The Galaxy Z Fold4 goes the opposite way and is slightly taller than wide when open.
According to previous rumours, the Google Pixel Fold will be powered by the in-house Tensor G2 chipset, allegedly in combination with a 4,821 mAh battery with 30 watt cable charging. The weight is said to be 283g and the retail price in the US is $1,799 (€1,617). The market launch is on June 27th.
