Google recently launched the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro along with a new Pixel Watch. But rumors have been brewing around Google debuting a new foldable next year along with the Pixel Tablet.
Recently, the company gave us a glimpse at the upcoming Pixel Tablet, but so far, has not let out a peep about the Google Pixel Fold. Now a new leak sheds some light on the display and the fingerprint sensor that we could see on the company’s first foldable.
Leaker and developer Kuba Wojciechowski mentioned to 91 Mobiles (opens in new tab), that the foldable when opened will measure 123 x 148 mm, which corresponds to a 7.57-inch display. The report also mentions the resolution of the inner display to be 2208 x 1840. This is extremely close to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 specs as well that has a 7.6-inch inner display.
The Pixel Fold that is apparently referred to as “Felix” internally, could also get a 120Hz refresh rate display like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 — although the developer was not completely certain about this. Google’s foldable could be brighter than the Fold 4 — the display on the inside is reported to get 1200 nits of peak brightness with an average brightness of 800 nits. The main panel of the Fold 4 registered a max of 905 nits.
A report by 9to5Google (opens in new tab) mentions that the outer display of the Pixel Fold could have a 2100 x 1080 resolution. We don’t know the measurements of the screen, but going by the leaked resolution — it hints at a slightly wider but shorter outer screen compared to Samsung’s 6.2-inch display on the Fold 4. Like the Pixel 7’s, the Pixel Fold will also reportedly get display panels by Samsung.
Pixel Fold fingerprint sensor
9to5Google claims to have unearthed Android code that shows that Google is testing a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for two of its devices. The report says these could very well be the Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Fold and will be placed in a similar manner on the side like the Galaxy Z Fold series.
Google ran into problems with the in-display fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 6, after which it vastly improved it on the Pixel 6a and more recently, the Pixel 7 series. Considering the Pixel Fold will have multiple screens to unlock, Google could be giving us one traditional side-mounted fingerprint scanner to do the job.
This also raises the question of whether Google will bring face unlock to the Pixel Fold. We saw face unlock added to the Pixel 7 series and it works pretty well. It would be great to see it on Google’s foldable too, considering Samsung also packs it in.
Google Pixel Fold: What it needs to beat Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 currently dominate the foldables market. The Fold 4 brings top performance with the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, a good Android 12L software experience and is one of the best camera phones as well. Google is known for its AI and machine learning prowess, along with excellent cameras and we will have to see if it brings its A-game with its Pixel Fold.
The Fold 4 got a slightly wider main display compared to its predecessor this time which felt great to use — the rumored, even wider display on the Pixel Fold is definitely welcome news. We hope Google gives us OLED panels that compare with Samsung’s immersive foldable displays.
In terms of performance, the Pixel Fold is rumored to be powered by the Tensor G2 chip that also backs the Pixel 7 series. While it is a capable chip, it’s not quite as fast as the latest Snapdragon.
Android 12L has proven to be one of the best parts about the Fold 4 and was a big step up from the Fold 3. Samsung worked closely with Google to customize the Google suite of apps for a foldable, so hopefully we can expect some of the same customizations on its own phone.
The Pixel Fold is also rumored to get three cameras with similar specifications as the Fold 4. We assume the company will bring some of its software driven features like Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur on the Pixel Fold.
One area where Google can blaze ahead of Samsung will be the price. The Fold 4 starts at a hefty $1,799 — if the Pixel Fold comes in lower than that, it might be one of the best value foldables around.
We are pretty optimistic about Google’s foldable and if it puts its best foot forward with cutting-edge specs it can very well be one of the best foldable phones.