As we head towards Google I/O 2023, which is set to take place in less than a week, we’re all gearing up and looking at the final pieces of the puzzle to drop in the form of new leaks and rumours. New information is surfacing every day, and we recently got to see new high-quality images of the upcoming Google Pixel Fold, leaving nothing to the imagination.
New offers shared by Evan Blass at Twitter, who shared several high-res images of the upcoming Pixel Fold in a fully unfolded and closed state, giving us a better look at what’s to come. Time to check out the images closely, along with the leaks, and tell you why we’re excited and what Google needs to do to succeed with its first foldable smartphone.
Usable cover screen, large main display, no crease, no gaps
This may seem obvious, but doing all of these things at once is a very difficult task. Smartphones are small and compact, and they should be small and light enough to carry around in our pockets. Currently foldable devices are about as slim as they can sometimes measure twice as thick as standard devices. As we’ve seen from the likes of HONOR, Xiaomi, and OPPO, it’s possible to make a device without a hole in the middle and with a crease that’s barely visible to the naked eye. The Cover Screen could also be more than usable, though Galaxy Z Fold 4 Stick to the slightly narrower display size on the Cover Screen.
If Google wants its users to take it seriously, it has to cover all the basics, and considering the offerings, the company seems to have done just that. The upcoming Pixel Fold has a large usable display, no gaps, and a large home screen. It’s usually hard to tell if there will be a crease due to the lack of a display, but if we had to guess, Google is likely using a hinge mechanism similar to the OPPO Find N2, which indicates that the device may have little or no crease at all. .
Pixel quality camera
The Pixel smartphone range is known for its excellent camera sensors and Google’s outstanding algorithm. The current generation of foldable smartphones are capable of taking photos in all lighting conditions and environments. However, despite their expensive tags, they often take worse pictures than devices costing almost half the price.
We’d love to see Google bring excellent algorithm and optimizations to the Pixel Fold, bringing much-needed innovation to the field. Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, and Xiaomi can all take decent photos, but they’re often behind their flagship models, which often come with better periscope, wide-angle, and primary sensors.
Better and more software improvements
Android 12L brought a much-needed revamp to the Android operating system, and introduced several new features that made the tablet and foldable smartphone experience that much bigger. However, Android 13 was the real software that brought much-needed improvements and optimizations that changed how these large-screen devices display apps and games in folded and unfolded states. However, stock Android is missing a lot of features that we’ve come to expect and love in other devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold lineup.
We’d like to see the two-finger swipe gesture that enables users to open apps side by side, better and more multitasking features, a more prominent taskbar that we’re used to seeing on tablets, and Google’s full suite of Pixel series apps and features. We’d also like to see stylus support, allowing users to draw and draw on the big screen.
Water resistant
Water resistance is very important nowadays, especially since most people are used to their devices that can withstand rain, spilled drinks, and sweat. We should see some form of water resistance features built into the Pixel Fold, providing users with peace of mind when out and about at the pool or beach. Many new foldable devices lack this feature due to the high cost of certifying the devices, the cost of ensuring they meet various standards can add up quickly, and make the manufacturing process more difficult. Some hinge mechanisms are not watertight, which makes them more susceptible to failure caused by water.
Battery and fast charging
One of the main problems with foldable devices is that they contain small batteries due to design limitations and lack of space. Most of the foldable devices inside are stuffed with many components, which takes up precious space. As a result, many have batteries anywhere between 4,400-5,000mAh, which often isn’t enough to provide comfortable battery life, at least, when compared to traditional premium flat devices.
Google Pixel Stand (2nd generation)
The Google Pixel Stand (2nd generation) is a fast charging charger compatible with Pixel phones and Qi-certified devices. It can wirelessly charge the latest Pixel 7 and 6 series with the same power as a wired charger and can charge hundreds of other Qi-certified devices with up to 23W of power. It has a cool and quiet design, with a built-in, nearly silent fan that keeps your phone cool while charging.
However, the one area where Google can offset this is by offering the same level of fast wireless charging feature as it did with the Pixel 7 series flagships, and by providing a faster wired charging solution. Chances are, we’ll likely see the same charging tech we’ve seen on the Pixel 7 series, which should deliver 20-23W of wired charging using a 30W USB-C power adapter made by Google. The wireless charging rate should be about the same, enabling the Pixel Fold to charge at speeds between 20 and 23W.
That’s not fast by today’s standards, especially in a world where 30-50W wireless charging already exists, and other competing foldables can be charged at 66W via cable. The Pixel Fold is rumored to come with a 4,500mAh battery, and support 23W fast charging, which will be slightly faster than what’s offered by the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and, presumably, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Notably, the Pixel Fold will be powered by Tensor G2 SoC, which should offer great battery life; Hopefully, it will be a competitor in the field of foldable smartphones.
Google’s best smartphones of 2023 so far
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Google Pixel 7
The new Google Pixel 7 is powered by the all-new Google Tensor G2 chipset. The device is paired with 8GB of memory, and has 128/256GB storage tiers. The phone comes with a greatly improved camera system, and is much more portable than the previous generation. The Pixel 7 is available in Obsidian, Lemongrass, and Snow colours.
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Google Pixel 7 Pro
$749 $999 Save $250
Powered by the new Google Pixel Tensor, the Google Pixel 7 Pro delivers impressive graphics performance and computing power to let you easily play all your favorite games and multitask. The device also has a highly capable camera setup that is backed by a unique post-processing algorithm that helps in achieving great results.
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Google Pixel 6a
If you don’t care about a high refresh rate, wireless charging, a glass back, and a few other tidbits, this should be your phone. It’s a Pixel that features the same chipset as last year’s Pixel 6 series but costs less. Check out all the deals on the device using the links provided below.