Google is officially entering the flexible screen market with its brand-new Google Pixel Fold. The new phone, announced along with the Google Pixel 7a, is certain to catch the eyes of tech enthusiasts and anyone looking for a new cool gadget to play with but with a starting price of $1,799, the Pixel Fold isn't a phone for the average user.
The Google Pixel Fold is available for preorder through Google and its MVNO Google Fi and hit the shelves on June 27, 2023. You can find it available from all of the major carriers and many MVNOs.
Google Pixel Fold Specs & Features
Google Pixel Fold specs
| Google Pixel Fold | |
|---|---|
| Screen size | Folded: 5.8" Open: 7.6" |
| Cameras | Rear: 48MP main, 10.8MP ultra-wide, 10.8MP telephoto Inner: 8MP Front: 9.5MP |
| Processor |
Google Tensor G2 |
| Battery life | 24+ hours |
| Water resistance | IPX8 |
| Memory and storage | 12GB RAM 256GB, 512GB storage |
| Colors | Obsidian, Porcelain |
| Starting price | $1,799 |
Design and display
Nothing to see here. It's just a regular phone.
Okay, not really. When we talk about foldable phones, we have to talk about how the device looks when it's folded shut and when it's open. Google's big goal when designing the new foldable was to make the Pixel Fold feel as much like a typical smartphone when folded shut as possible. The most significant step Google has taken to accomplish this goal is by making the phone super thin so that it doesn't feel so bulky when closed. In fact, as Google claims, at 0.5" in thickness when closed, the Pixel Fold is the thinnest foldable ever.
That relative thinness allows you to hold the phone comfortably in your hand and use the 5.8" cover display the way you'd use any other typical smartphone. Opened up, the Pixel Fold becomes more like a tablet with a 7.6" display giving you plenty of room watching videos or multitasking.
Google also emphasized the hinge when designing the Pixel Fold, focusing on its durability to make sure it can withstand a constant barrage of opening and closing. You'll see that hinge prominently on the phone along the slightly too-large bezel on the open-faced side of the phone.
Cameras
The camera is the thing when it comes to Google Pixel phones, so it's no surprise that Google is especially proud of what it's calling the best camera on any foldable. Of course, that is after you factor in all of the computational photography features that come with the Pixel Fold. You'll get to take advantage of things like Magic Erase, Photo Unblur, Real Tone, Night Sight, Portrait Mode, and more.
If you look at the hardware alone, the system seems pretty average with its 48MP main camera and 10.8MP ultra-wide and telephoto lenses. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, and 10MP telephoto lens. But the Google Pixel phones never really outshone any of its competitors with hardware. It's always been the software.
Processing and performance
The Google Pixel Fold is loaded with the Google Tensor G2, which isn't the biggest surprise. This is the chip that provides the processing juice for all Pixel 7 series. Seeing as though we are only months away from the Tensor G3, some may think Google could have waited for just a little to have the newer chip in this very expensive phone, but one could understand that the gigantic tech company was eager to get its first foldable out on the market.
The Tensor G2 is certainly no slouch and with 12MP of available RAM the Google Fold should support all the multitasking and computation users throw at it.
Additional features: Split screen, dual-screen translation, drag and drop, tabletop mode, and more
While the Pixel Fold is new, foldable phones aren't, and a lot of the novelty of foldable phones with flexible screens has worn off. That means, to be impressive, and stand up to phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, the Pixel Fold needs to take full advantage of the real estate provided by multiple screens. With its different modes and features, Google's new device seems to be up for the challenge.
Of course, it makes absolute sense that the larger interior display features a split-screen mode that allows some legit multitasking across multiple apps. With a drag-and-drop feature, you can easily drag an image from one app and drop it over to another. In tabletop mode, you can use one half of the phone as a base to set on a surface and fold up the other half to watch videos or take pictures.
With dual-screen translation, you can show your other screen to a person who speaks a different language while looking at the inner screen and have your conversation translated for both parties on each screen.
Explore the Google Pixel Fold
The Google Pixel Fold is available in two different storage capacities.
How Much Is the Google Pixel Fold?
Foldable phones are not cheap, and you are going to have to pay a hefty price to get your hands on a Google Pixel Fold. At launch, the two storage sizes were priced as follows:
- Google Pixel Fold 256GB: $1,799
- Google Pixel Fold 512GB: $1,919
The Google Pixel Fold entered the market as one of the most expensive mobile devices ever. With such a hefty price tag the phone is definitely geared more toward tech enthusiasts who want the novelty of having Google's first foldable phone.
Google Pixel Fold prices: Monthly payments vs. outright
Paying monthly Installments
Pros
- Lower upfront costs
- Upgrade early before paying off the phone
- Device payment easier to manage
- More deals offered by carriers
Cons
- Need to pay off the phone before switching carriers
- Deals require you to stay with carrier for 24+ months
- Higher monthly bill payments
Buying outright
Pros
- No monthly payments on the phone (i.e., lower monthly phone bill)
- You own the phone right away
- Freedom to switch carriers and upgrade whenever you want
Cons
- Much higher upfront costs
- No early upgrade discounts
- Not as many carrier deals offered to outright buyers
Google Pixel Fold prices: Monthly payments + plans
Google Pixel Fold 256GB Plans
|
GoTalk Wireless
SafeSim Super Lite Consumer Plan
$84.96/mo
$30.00 advance payment for 3 months (equals to $10.00/month)
|
Google Pixel Fold 512GB Plans
|
GoTalk Wireless
SafeSim Super Lite Consumer Plan
$89.12/mo
$30.00 advance payment for 3 months (equals to $10.00/month)
|
Angelo Ilumba
Senior Writer
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