Just days before its product launch, Google provided an early glimpse of its first foldable smartphone.
In a video shared on Twitter and YouTube, the company showcased a Pixel phone with a vertical hinge that opens to reveal a tablet-like display.
Next week, Google will host its annual developer conference at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, where it’s rumored to unveil the Pixel 7a budget phone, the latest Android operating system, and advancements to its AI-powered Bard chatbot.
Although Google didn’t disclose the Pixel Fold’s specifications, it’s become common for companies to preview products ahead of events to build excitement and set expectations, especially in an era where surprising onlookers has become challenging.
Despite significant interest in foldable phones and a resurgence of 90s-style flip phones among celebrities and TikTok influencers, the foldable market remains relatively small. Samsung dominates the category, followed by brands like Motorola/Lenovo, Oppo, and Huawei. According to ABI Research, foldable and flexible displays accounted for about 0.7% of the smartphone market in 2021 and were expected to approach 2% in 2022.
High price points have also limited consumer adoption, with the Pixel Fold rumored to start at $1,700.
It’s not surprising that Google is entering the foldable market, but it’s possible they waited to launch their version until the technology matured. For instance, early models of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold had screen issues, and most apps were not well-optimized for the design.
“Google has been working on enhancing user experiences for foldable devices from a software perspective, so with improvements on the hardware side, the market conditions now make sense for a Pixel Fold,” said Michael Inouye, an analyst at ABI Research.