Google has finally unveiled its first foldable device. The company announced its new Pixel Fold on Wednesday at its Google I/O 2023 event, and pre-orders are underway for the $1,799 device.
The Pixel Fold is reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. It folds as a phone but forms a tablet when opened. The outer display has a 5.8 inches screen while the inner display has a 7.6 inches panel. Both displays support up to 120Hz refresh rate and are AMOLED. The inner display is coated in ultra-thin glass, while a Gorilla Glass Victus protect the outer display.
When unfolded, the Pixel Fold measures 5.8mm thin in size, which is thinner when compared to the 6.3mm of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It’s also compact when closed, measuring 12.1mm thick compared to Samsung’s up to 15.8mm. Google claims its Pixel Fold is the thinnest in the market and has the “most durable” hinge when folded.
In terms of design, Google says it used a “multi-alloy steel construction” for the device to give it a premium feel. The Pixel Fold is IPX8 water-resistant. Regarding security, it has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and Face Unlock support, which works with the outer selfie camera. A Dual Screen interpreter mode is a new feature coming soon to the foldable when Android 14 arrives. When using Google Translate, the device will simultaneously use the inner and displays to translate conversations.
The camera department has a 48MP main shooter, a 10.8MP ultrawide and a 10.8MP telephoto (5x). There’s a 9.5MP front-facing camera on the outer display and an 8MP camera on the inner display in the bezel.
Regarding hardware, the Pixel Fold runs on the same powerful Tensor G2 chipset found on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. It is bundled with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, while a 512GB option is available in some markets. The Pixel Fold supports wireless charging, and Google says the Pixel Fold’s 4,821mAh battery can provide “beyond 24-hour” battery life.
Pre-orders are open for the $1,799 Pixel Fold at the Google Store. According to Google, it will be available in “Obsidian” and “Porcelain” colours only. The 512GB variant is slightly more expensive at $1,919. Those who pre-order will get a free Google Pixel Watch ($349 value), shipping for early orders arriving June 27th. Apart from the US, the Pixel Fold will only be sold in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.
