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Pixel Fold: All the Buzz on Google’s Foldable Phone

One of Google’s most anticipated phones could be revealed in May.

Google could be the next major tech company to throw its hat into the foldable ring. There have been rumors fluttering for a while that a bendy Pixel phone might see the light of day, especially given the company’s focus on hardware in recent years.

The rumored Google Pixel Fold is expected to go on sale in June, according to March reports from 9to5Google and WinFuture. It’s possible the company introduces the Pixel Fold at its annual Google I/O event, scheduled this year for May 10

So far the company has kept mum on the possibility of a foldable phone. But that hasn’t stopped Pixel fans from hoping. Keep in mind that Google confirmed that it had been prototyping the folding technology back in 2019. Prior to that, it filed a patent application for a foldable device.

Google isn’t the only company that’s reportedly joining the foldable phone bandwagon. It appears to be an open secret that Apple’s gearing up to do the same, though that may not show up till 2025. (Read CNET’s coverage about a potential iPhone Flip.) Samsung meanwhile, seems to be going full steam ahead with its foldable phones. The South Korean company launched its fourth generation of foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, at its Unpacked event in August.  Chinese phone makers like Huawei and Oppo have also continued to release their own foldables in the form of the Mate X3 and the Find N2 Flip.

Oppo Find N phone open and held in one handOppo Find N phone open and held in one hand

Even when the phone’s opened, it’s hard to find a crease on the Oppo Find N. 

Eli Blumenthal/CNET

Pixel Fold design: More Oppo Find N than Galaxy Z Fold 4

Animations found in Android 12L, Google’s software designed specifically for large-screen devices such as tablets and foldable phones, have offered hints at the possible appearance of the Pixel Fold. Based on that, Google’s foldable phone will take the form of a book-style foldable with two screens. 

The Google foldable was initially rumored to resemble the taller and leaner design of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3, which has an approximate aspect ratio of 22.5:18. But according to 9to5Google and other media outlets, the opened-up Pixel Fold is more likely to resemble the squarish shape of Oppo’s foldable phone, the Find N. When closed, it’s believed to have an aspect ratio closer to 18:9. If that’s true, it would mean that, like the Find N, the Pixel Fold could be more natural to use as a regular phone when closed. According to a December report by HowISolve, the cover display will measure 5.79 inches, while the inner display will measure 7.69 inches.

Google Pixel FoldGoogle Pixel Fold

Google Pixel Fold Renders Showing Different Fold Angles

Front Page Tech

Pixel Fold design: Just 2 colors

Renders based on images of a Google Pixel Fold were published online in November by Front Page Tech. The phone renders show two colors, one model in obsidian (black) and one in chalk (white). However more recent reports point to color options in «carbon,» likely a shade of gray or black, and «porcelain.» 

Pixel Fold camera: Camera module may be step down from Pixel 6

There haven’t been many rumors about the Pixel Fold’s camera, but there’s room for some speculation, courtesy of 9to5Google. The website is reporting that the Pixel Fold will have two front-facing 8-megapixel lenses, one presumably on the cover and one for the interiors, as well as a 12-megapixel rear camera. The main sensor is expected to be a step down from the Pixel 6 series, since it’s rumored to rely on Sony’s IMX363 sensor, used in the Pixel 3 in 2018, as opposed to Samsung’s top-of-the-line GN1 sensor, from the main 50-megapixel camera of the Pixel 6 series. 

If I had to guess, I’d expect the logic for this potential decision to hinge on the size of the GN1 sensor, which is one of the larger camera sensors on the market. That means it’ll be tough for a foldable phone to carry it without increasing the overall heft of an already-hefty foldable device. Another rumor points to the Pixel Fold having a 50-megapixel main camera along with two 12-megapixel cameras and an 8-megapixel one. 

Read more: Google Pixel 6A: The Best Android Phone Under $500

Pixel 6 main cameraPixel 6 main camera

Google put a relatively large image sensor into the main camera of both its $599 Pixel 6 and $899 Pixel 6 Pro.

Google; Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Pixel Fold price: $1,400 to $1,800 

There’s no telling for certain what a phone will cost until launch day — if that happens at all. But according to a report by 9to5Google citing an unnamed source, the Pixel Fold will be priced below the $1,800 (£1,320 or AU$2,500) mark. Another report spotted by BGR in March seems to corroborate that notion, putting the price as low as $1,399, which is less than Samsung’s $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 4. Those rumors seem to make sense as they appear to align with Google’s strategy of undercutting its competitors in terms of price. 

Read More: Google Pixel 7 vs. Apple iPhone 14 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22: The $200 Difference

Pixel Fold processor: Tensor

Considering Google went to the complex and costly trouble of developing its own system-on-chip technology, it’s all but certain the Pixel Fold will run on the Tensor chipset, which debuted on the Pixel 6 series.

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Apple’s New Smart Home Display Delayed Until Fall Over Siri Issues

It has been nearly a year and a half since the company announced the AI-powered product.

Your home could get smarter with Apple’s Siri, but it will have to wait a few more months. Bloomberg reported the iPad-shaped AI home hub won’t be ready until September, several months after the company was hoping to launch it this spring. Apple engineers first need to complete work on a new and improved Siri assistant for the home device, code-named J490, according to Bloomberg.

Apple was hoping to release J490 this month, along with a slew of other new devices, including the iPhone 17e, MacBook Neo, MacBook Air M5new Pro models, and iPad Air M4. Apple first teased the smart home display in November 2024.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Siri is Apple’s virtual assistant that uses voice recognition and AI to fulfill a variety of tasks and commands, along with intriguing uses. You might use Siri to find your iPhone — «Hey Siri, where are you?» — or to hear the weather forecast — «Siri, what will the weather be today?» Siri is available on iPhones, MacBooks and iPads. It was launched in 2011 as a feature of the iPhone 4S.

As CNET reported last month, Apple engineers have struggled to push the upgraded Siri assistant out the door. It isn’t fast enough, gets confused by complex commands and doesn’t interact well with other Apple AI models. The company is also wrestling with how much personal data to access to inform the AI, and the new Siri is not yet able to complete in-app tasks, such as finding a photo and posting it to socials, all with one command.

It has been nearly two years since Apple announced that it would give Siri a major upgrade. In the meantime, competitors like Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home have entered the marketplace.

Tech tester Jon Rettinger, whose YouTube channel has 1.66 million subscribers, says the repeated delays in upgrading Siri can «erode» confidence in Apple’s ability to keep up in the AI race.

«Apple as a whole is still one of the strongest companies on the planet. But their AI play is clearly the weakest link in an otherwise very strong chain,» Rettinger told CNET.

Rettinger said he has had issues getting Siri to complete basic commands, such as setting two alarms at the same time, and that it’s a bit of «a mess» right now.

«Having said that, the iPhone has such massive market penetration that I’m not sure it will actually matter in the end. Which is kind of wild when you think about it,» Rettinger said.

Facial recognition for residents

The hardware for the forthcoming smart home display has already been finished. It resembles an iPad and can be either attached to a wall or rest on a half-domed-shaped base, the Bloomberg report said.

The device will be equipped with facial recognition, so when residents walk up to it, they will be shown personalized data such as music preferences, news headlines, appointments, reminders, tasks and so on.

The screen interface will include a bunch of circular app icons, similar to the display on an Apple Watch. The Bloomberg report said the smart home display will be the first of several home devices by Apple. Future products include a tabletop robotic limb with a 9-inch screen, a smart security camera and a Face ID-enabled smart doorbell.

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