Google has provided a sneak peek at its first foldable smartphone, just days ahead of its product launch. In a video posted on Twitter and YouTube, the company teased a Pixel phone with a vertical hinge that can be opened to reveal a tablet-like display. However, Google did not reveal any specs for the Pixel Fold. The company will host its annual developer conference next week, where it’s rumored to also introduce a Pixel 7a budget phone, its latest Android operating system, and advancements to its AI-powered Bard chatbot.
Despite great interest in foldable phones, the foldable market is still relatively small. According to ABI Research, foldable and flexible displays made up about 0.7% of the smartphone market in 2021, and in 2022, it is expected to fall just shy of 2%. High price points have limited consumer adoption, too. The Pixel Fold is rumored to start at $1,700.
It’s not surprising Google is dipping its toes into the world of foldables, but it’s possible it waited to launch its own version until the technology became more advanced. Early versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold had issues with the screen, and most apps were not well optimized for the design. “Google has been working on bringing better user experiences to foldable devices from a software perspective, so when coupled with improvements on the hardware side, the market conditions are at a state now where it makes sense for a Pixel Fold,” said Michael Inouye, an analyst at ABI Research.
In summary, Google has provided a glimpse of its first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold, which features a vertical hinge that opens to reveal a tablet-like display. The company is expected to introduce the Pixel 7a budget phone, its latest Android operating system, and advancements to its AI-powered Bard chatbot at its upcoming annual developer conference. The foldable market is still relatively small, with Samsung dominating the category. The high price points of foldable phones have also limited consumer adoption. However, Google may have waited to launch its own foldable until the technology became more advanced, and it has been working on bringing better user experiences to foldable devices from a software perspective.