AdminGoogle’s long-awaited first foldable phone is here, and the company unveiled the Google Pixel Fold at Google I/O 2023 alongside the Pixel 7a and Pixel Tablet.
It basically looks like a foldable take on the Pixel 7 Pro and that’s not a bad thing as Google’s 2022 flagship remains one of the best phones you can buy.
But the Pixel Fold is a much more ambitious device, joining most of the Pixel 7 Pro’s core tech with a 7.6-inch foldable display, and its design makes it the slimmest foldable phone on the market.
Below you’ll find the full details on the Google Pixel Fold, including its specs, release date, and predictably high price.
To the point
- What is this? Google’s first foldable phone
- when is it coming out? It was unveiled on May 10 and will hit stores in June
- How much is it? Starts at $1799 / £1749 (around AU$2655)
Google Pixel Fold release date and price
The Google Pixel Fold is now available for pre-order if you’re in the US or UK (but not Australia – we’ll update this article as we get that info). It starts at $1,799 / £1,749 (around AU$2,655), which is in line with the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
This is for the 256GB model, but you can also get the Fold with 512GB for $1,919 / £1,869 (around AU$2,835).
The phone will begin shipping at the end of June, and more precise delivery dates may vary depending on your location, but we’re currently seeing estimates of June 27 – July 3.
Google Pixel Fold project
The Google Pixel Fold comes in various shades of Porcelain (off-white) or Obsidian (Black), and aside from the big camera bump, it has a rather sleek design. In fact, at 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8mm when unfolded, it is the thinnest foldable phone on the market.
This remains true when folded, but it is rather thicker than a conventional phone in this form factor, at 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1mm.
But while the Google Pixel Fold is relatively thin compared to other foldables, it’s not one of the lightest options, weighing in at 283g. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – which is its closest competitor – weighs in at 263g.
The Pixel Fold also has fairly large bezels around the foldable display, as we already knew from leaks and teasers. But the cover screen fares better on that front, and the Pixel Fold is at least built to last – Google says it has the most durable hinge on a foldable, and the phone also has an IPX8 water resistance rating.
The back is covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, which should protect it from scratches, and the frame is made of polished aluminum.
Google Pixel Fold display
The Google Pixel Fold has a 7.6-inch foldable OLED display with a resolution of 1840 x 2208 with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a 5.8-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2092 with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
These specifications are broadly in line with the screen specifications of competing devices. For example, the Z Fold 4 has the same size foldable screen, but a slightly larger 6.2-inch display.
However, the Pixel Fold has a wider profile, which should mean the cover screen feels less narrow than rival Samsung’s. Google has also worked to minimize the creases on the foldable screen as much as possible.
Google Pixel Fold camera
The Pixel Fold features a triple-lens rear camera just like the Pixel 7 Pro, although it doesn’t use the same sensors.
Here you have a 48MP f/1.7 main camera, a 10.8MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle and a 10.8MP f/3.05 telephoto with 5x optical zoom. It can also digitally zoom up to 20x.
There is also a 9.5 MP f/2.2 camera on the display on the housing, and an 8 MP f/2.0 camera on the foldable screen. They can be used to take selfies, but you can also use the main 48MP camera to take selfies if you unfold the screen and use the display on the cover to frame the shot.
The camera on the cover screen is located in a hole, and the camera on the foldable display is located in the top bezel, so there are no cameras below the display, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
However, there are plenty of camera modes and features here, including favorites from other pixels like Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur. Meanwhile, video can be recorded in up to 4K quality.
Google Pixel Fold battery
The Pixel Fold has a 4,821 mAh battery, which is quite large by foldable phone standards. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has 4400 mAh.
In practice, this allows for more than 24 hours of use according to Google, or up to 72 hours if you use the Extreme Battery Saver mode.
The Google Pixel Fold also narrowly beats Samsung’s charging power, with 30W of wired power. There’s also wireless charging, although Google didn’t list speeds.
Google Pixel Fold specifications and features
There are no big surprises when it comes to the basic specs of the Pixel Fold. This phone has the Tensor G2 chipset, just like the Google Pixel 7 line. It also has 12GB of RAM, a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage, and runs Android 13 with promised security updates for at least five years.
It’s not just the Pixel 7 Pro with a foldable screen though, as Google has thought of ways to get the most out of the foldable case.
This includes things like the ability to use your phone in split-screen mode, and a dual-screen live translation feature where the person you’re talking to can see the translation on the outer screen while you interact with the inner one.
There’s also a tabletop mode that allows you to open the phone like a laptop, watch video on the top half of the screen, and control on the bottom (where the laptop’s keyboard would be).
Other features include a fingerprint sensor in the power button, stereo speakers, and of course 5G support.
