By Abhik Sengupta: It’s official. Google is all set to launch its first foldable smartphone, dubbed the Pixel Fold. The smartphone has been a part of the rumour mill for the last two years, but its development is finally confirmed, and we will get a close look at the upcoming Google IO event on May 10. In a promotional video, Google showcased the phone’s gold colour, though there might be more options at launch. At Google IO 2023, the company will also launch the Pixel 7a and Google Pixel tablet.
The caption of the promotional video reads, “May The Fold Be With You,” which is a modified version of the popular Star Wars dialogue “May the force be with you.” From the video, the device appears bulky with the same horizontal camera bar on the back that features on the Pixel 7 Pro. The camera also has cutouts for three cameras, likely for wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto sensors. Interestingly, the cover display of the Pixel Fold appears to be wide, unlike the narrow cover display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. In a way, this design is similar to what we have seen on Oppo Find N and Find N2.
The video reveals there would be two cameras for selfies. One is on the cover display, and the second is on the main screen.
Google has not clarified the specifications, but we have a decent idea of what to expect. A leak notes the cover display on the Pixel Fold may offer a viewing area of 5.8 inches, while the main tablet-sized screen may provide a 7.6-inch viewing area. We could expect both displays to offer a 120Hz refresh rate and support high-end technologies such as HDR and HDR10+ for a sharper and more vivid viewing experience.
In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 offers a 6.2-inch cover display, and the main display measures 7.6 inches.
Under the hood, the Google Pixel Fold may be powered by Google Tensor G2 SoC, which also features on the Pixel 7 series. The same SoC will likely power the Pixel 7a. In terms of cameras, the Pixel Fold may have the same camera setup which is available on the Pixel 7 Pro. That means, there could be a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 48-megapixel telephoto sensor, and a 10.2-inch ultra-wide.
Since it is a Google phone, we can expect some tailored form of Android for this form factor.
As expected, Google will reveal the price of the device at the Google IO event, but it is certain the Pixel Fold won’t be cheap. It will reportedly cost over $1,700 (roughly Rs 1.40 lakh).
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