Is this Google's first foldable phone? Leaked video claims to show a real-life Pixel Fold device
Unlike Samsung, Huawei and many more of its smartphone rivals, Google is yet to release a foldable phone – but this may soon be about to change.
Leaked footage of what's thought to be Google's first foldable phone – called the Pixel Fold – has been posted to Twitter.
It shows a stylish black smartphone with a screen on the outside that unfolds to reveal a second tablet-sized display within.
Although it's not known for certain if this is a Google device, the US tech giant is already expected to announce the Pixel Fold next month.
Apple is another tech giant that is yet to launch a foldable phone, although some iPhone fans previously created a prototype of what this might look like.
The new video purporting to show the Pixel Fold was posted by 'reliable' leaker Kuba Wojciechowski, who told the Verge that it was filmed over a month ago.
As the Verge points out, there's no sign of any official Google branding or logos on the device, so it could even be a Samsung prototype.
MailOnline has contacted Google for comment.
Google is rumoured to be announcing the Pixel Fold at its annual developer conference, Google I/O, on May 10 before the smartphone begins to ships the following month.
Citing internal documents, CNBC said Pixel Fold will have the 'most durable hinge on a foldable phone' and will cost $1,700 (£1,350) and upwards.
In comparison, Samsung's latest flagship foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, starts from $1,800 in the US or £1,649 in the UK.
Pixel Fold will open like a book to reveal a small tablet-sized 7.6-inch screen, according to CNBC, while the smaller exterior screen will measure 5.8 inches across.
Pixel Fold will also boast a larger battery and will therefore be heavier than Samsung's Galaxy Fold (283g compared with 276g).
It will also reportedly be packed with Google's Tensor G2 processor, which powers the latest Google Pixel 7 family of smartphones, released last October.
Official details about the upcoming device are scarce, although the dedicated webpage for Google I/O includes an intriguing image that appears to depict two foldables facing each other.
After entering the smartphone market in 2010 with the Nexus brand, Google kicked off the Pixel line in 2016 – but none of these phones have been foldable as yet.
Interestingly, the biggest Asian smartphone makers – Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo – have all released foldable phones, while the two US giants – Apple and Google – have not.
But while the stage is set for Google's first foldable phone, Apple seems to be holding out for longer.
According to one report, the bulky design of current folding phones does not align with Apple's design philosophy, although the firm is rumored to be working on one.
Apple appears to have registered patents for a foldable phone, similar to a flip phone, with a horizontal hinge through the middle.
Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, previously said that there is 'really no need' for Apple to move in the foldable direction at present.
'You can be sure that it has had flexible display technology in its labs for the last decade,' he told MailOnline.
'But at present there is no commercial imperative for Apple to take the risk of piling into a niche market when the iPhone is so unbelievably successful.'
Other smartphone makers to release a foldable phone include Motorola, a US company based in Illinois.
The firm released its second-generation Motorola Razr last autumn – an updated version of its original 'clamshell' Razr flip phones released in the noughties.
The mobile phone turns 50! MailOnline looks back at the evolution of the device - from the first call on a Motorola handset weighing 1.75lbs and featuring an AERIAL to today's futuristic foldables
It can be hard to remember a time before we had mobile phones, now they have replaced maps, watches, calendars, cameras and so many more devices and tools.
But the first ever wireless handset made its first call 50 years ago today – the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, which weighed a whopping 1.75lb (784g).
Since then, the device has shrunk down significantly, lost its buttons and external aerial, but gained a touchscreen and professional quality camera lens - and even a foldable mechanism.
To celebrate the milestone, MailOnline looks back at its evolution over the last five decades.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvc2NpZW5jZXRlY2gvYXJ0aWNsZS0xMjAwNzQ3My9Jcy1Hb29nbGVzLWZvbGRhYmxlLXBob25lLUxlYWtlZC12aWRlby1jbGFpbXMtcmVhbC1saWZlLVBpeGVsLUZvbGQtZGV2aWNlLmh0bWzSAQA?oc=5
2023-04-24 15:15:06Z
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