Photo by Onleaks and Howtoisolve
With a rumoured Pixel Fold expected to be announced at the upcoming Google I/O conference on May 10, leaked internal documents show a heavy and premium device with a bigger battery than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Google is reportedly going to market the Pixel Fold as a pocket-sized, waterproof foldable.
That said, it’s not going to be cheap. Leaked documents obtained by CNBC show the phone will cost upwards of $1700. However, with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 already costing $1799, the pricing isn’t exactly unrealistic here. Internally codenamed ‘Felix’ these leaked documents also reveal that Google is claiming the most durable hinge on any foldable, a bold move for a first-generation product.
In terms of hardware specs, the phone features a 5.8-inch external, screen, a 7.6-inch internal screen and weighs nearly 10 oz (284g). The weight is slightly heavier than the Fold 4 which weighs 263 grams, but that’s likely because of the bigger battery which is reportedly going to last 24 hours, or up to 72 hours in a low-power mode. You can also expect a triple-camera setup on the back.
Felix is expected to be powered by the second-generation Tensor G2 chip, which also powers the current Pixel 7 flagship in Google’s mobile lineup. It’s also reportedly offering incentives to potential buyers to switch over to the Pixel Fold, including discounts when trading in their existing Pixel, iPhone or any other Android-powered phone for a discount on the company’s latest foldable in addition to also including a free Pixel watch.
Despite hardware being a rather small part of Google’s revenue, the Pixel Fold is shaping up to be a rather significant jump in the company’s presence in the smartphone world. The pricing is neck to neck with Samsung’s fourth-generation foldable which have had a lot of time for trial and error and is more well-polished than ever.
It’s also going to be strange for relations between Google and Samsung. The two companies have previously collaborated on WatchOS 3, with Samsung ditching its TizenOS on the Galaxy Smartwatches for a Google-powered one. Additionally, according to a New York Times report, Samsung is also reportedly considering switching to Microsoft Bing as the default search engine on its devices, a change that’ll make Google miss out on roughly $3 billion in annual revenue.
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