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There were mounting reports in previous months that Google may be planning to unveil its first foldable Pixel phone before the end of 2021. However, the company has now reportedly scrapped those plans, and the device might see the light of day anytime soon.
Various reliable sources have suggested that Google could be gearing up for the announcement of the foldable Pixel. It seemed even more plausible when Google officially launched the Android 12L software update last month, designed specifically for Android tablets and foldable smartphones.
Things have changed, it appears. Analyst Ross Young of the Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) reported on Monday that Google has decided not to proceed with the rumored Pixel Fold launch this year. “We hear they have canceled parts orders and decided not to bring it to market,” Young added on Twitter. The device is also not expected to enter the market within the first half of 2022.
Note that Google has yet to announce if a Pixel Fold is in the pipeline. Former Google VP of product management Mario Queiroz said in 2019 that the company has been testing foldable smartphone prototypes “for a long time.” But Google never really followed up with an official announcement, not even a hint, that it is close to launching a foldable Pixel phone.
However, the reports imply that Google was close to launching a Pixel Fold this year. DSCC’s sources suggest Google pulled the plug on the foldable device because its current build may not be as competitive as it should be. While foldable smartphones are still somewhat a niche product, Samsung and other companies have already made more progress, and Google would have been up for an already fierce competition. The report also noted that manufacturers like Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Honor are expected to launch their foldable smartphones as well.
The report also doubled down on previous rumors that the Pixel Fold would have been a downgraded device compared to the Pixel 6 series, where Google applied several major upgrades. DSCC noted that the foldable Pixel was expected to use the same 12.2MP lens, which has been featured since the Pixel 3 generation, as its main camera. To compare, the latest Pixel phones feature a 50MP wide-angle main camera and 12MP ultrawide camera, while the Pixel 6 Pro exclusively has a 48MP telephoto sensor.
Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash
