The Pixel Fold was unveiled during Google I O 2023 as Google’s first foldable device, featuring a 7.6 inch main display with a resolution of 2208 by 1840 pixels and a secondary external screen sized at 5.8 inches with a resolution of 2092 by 1080 pixels. This bold move positioned Google as a major player in the folding phone category and showcased the company’s commitment to innovative hardware alongside its ongoing software ambitions. A promotional video accompanied the debut, offering a close look at how the two screens interact and how the fold mechanism feels in daily use.
The phone is powered by Google’s Tensor G2 processor, the same chip used in the Pixel 7 Pro. The chip configuration includes two Cortex X1 cores operating at 2.85 GHz, two Cortex A76 cores at 2.35 GHz, and four Cortex A55 cores at 1.8 GHz. Graphics duties fall to the Mali G710 MC10, and the device comes with 12 GB of RAM to support multitasking and memory-heavy apps. The combination is designed to deliver a smooth experience for gaming, photography, and productivity tasks on both displays.
Outside of the main display, the Pixel Fold offers a compact external screen. The two screens use OLED technology with HDR support and a 120 Hz refresh rate, ensuring crisp visuals and fluid scrolling whether the device is folded or open. This setup is aimed at providing quick access to apps, notifications, and essential tasks without unfolding the device.
Google offers two storage configurations for the Pixel Fold, 256 GB or 512 GB. The company emphasizes durability, claiming the device can withstand up to 200,000 folds. It is described as one of the slimmest foldable smartphones on the market, with a thickness of 12.1 mm when folded and 6 mm when fully open. These measurements reflect Google’s focus on portability alongside the foldable form factor.
The Pixel Fold is equipped with a 4800 mAh battery and is expected to deliver more than a full day of usage under typical conditions. It supports 30 W fast charging to help users top up quickly when needed. The camera system on the device includes five sensors: two front-facing cameras for selfies, both at 8.3 MP, and three rear cameras featuring a 48 MP main sensor with optical image stabilization, a 10.8 MP wide-angle lens, and a 10.8 MP telephoto lens with up to five times optical zoom for versatile photography and video capture.
At launch, the Pixel Fold carried a price tag of 1799 USD. It was slated to go on sale at the end of June in multiple markets, including Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with pre orders already available. This rollout follows the broader I O 2023 announcements, which highlighted other hardware and software updates from Google.
In addition to the foldable, Google introduced a range of other new products and updates during the event. The lineup included the Pixel 7a priced at 499 USD, Android 14 with a redesigned lock screen that mirrors certain style choices seen in iOS 16, an updated Wear OS, the 11 inch Pixel Tablet smart display priced at 499 USD, and a new generation of the PaLM 2 family of artificial intelligence models. These releases illustrate Google’s strategy to broaden its hardware ecosystem while expanding its AI and software capabilities.
Google also spent considerable time discussing advances in neural networks and AI driven features. The Bard chatbot received updates, Google Photos gained an assistive AI feature nicknamed Magic Editor to aid editing tasks, and Gmail introduced a dedicated assistant aimed at streamlining the letter writing process. These enhancements underscore Google’s emphasis on intelligent assistance across its core apps and devices, offering users more productive and creative tools integrated into daily workflows. (Source attribution: VG Times)