Google Pixel Fold launch soon: Specs, features, expected India price, and everything we know so far

While the midrange phones have got beefier specs now, not many have changed in the flagship segment. Unless we talk about the foldable smartphones that have turned out to be the new head turners. Initial foldables were fragile, had mediocre camera systems and unoptimized software. But that's not the case now, foldable smartphones have reached a point where they can be used as regular smartphones.

That said, this could be the year of foldable phones as plenty of companies are expected to launch foldable devices later this year. Google is also expected to take a plunge into the foldable segment with its rumoured Pixel Fold. Reports suggest that Google's upcoming foldable device could follow a similar design language to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. Besides this, the device is hinted to feature Samsung's ultra-thin glass (UTG) display which is currently exclusive to Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Google Pixel Fold is the brand's entry into the foldable segment. So, it will be interesting to see what Google has on offer with its first foldable smartphone. With that in mind, we decided to stack everything known so far about the Google Pixel Fold.

Google Pixel Fold specs and features

--The 9to5Google website was one of the first to report about the existence of the Google Pixel Fold. The website found hints about a foldable in the Android 12 beta code. A device codenamed "Passport" was listed amongst other upcoming Pixel devices supposed to launch this year. This device with model number GPQ72 is alleged to be the Google Pixel Fold.

--While Google has had a bad history of keeping its devices under wraps, the upcoming Pixel Fold is yet to see any major leak. We haven't seen any solid render leak yet. Hence the design prediction can only be made based on the patents surfaced online. A patent discovered by Patently Apple reveals a tablet-like foldable design that can be stretched a little further when open. This is a brand-new design that could make the Pixel Fold stand out from the crowd. However, it's unlikely that the brand will go with an unestablished design for its first foldable smartphone.

Photo Credit- Patently Apple, Pixel Fold hinge patents

--Another report suggests that Google has ordered foldable OLED panels of around 7.6 inches from Samsung Display. Now that's the same size panel we have seen on Galaxy Z Fold 2. So, Google Pixel Fold may feature a book-like folding design as seen on most foldable devices. That said, we can't rule out the clamshell design either, as we have seen similar hinge and design patents.

--Additionally, the Pixel Fold is tipped to feature Samsung's ultra-thin glass (UTG) display. Considering the durability of Galaxy Fold 2, which uses the same tech. It can be said that Google Pixel Fold's internal display will hold up well.

--There are barely any spec leaks around the Google Pixel Fold. However, considering the premium nature of Foldable devices, it's likely that Google will pack in high-end hardware. That said, the device could be powered by Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 888 SoC. It is an octa-core chipset based on a 5nm manufacturing process and coupled with Adreno 660 GPU. The chipset could be coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage.

--Apart from this, we have also heard about an in-house chipset codenamed "Whitechapel". This chipset is being developed by Samsung and is expected to make its way in the upcoming Pixel 6 series. It is tipped to be an octa-core ARM CPU with two Cortex-A78 plus two Cortex-A76 and four Cortex-A55 cores. The chipset will be paired with an ARM Mali GPU and be fabricated on a 5nm manufacturing process. It's also reported that this chipset will achieve similar performance to the Snapdragon 870 SoC.

--Google has received a lot of flak in the past for its sub-par hardware. Hence, the brand needs to better its hardware game with the Google Pixel Fold. The same can be said about the camera systems on Pixel devices. Google has stuck to the same camera hardware for all this while. So, an upgraded camera for the upcoming Pixel Fold will be a welcome change.

--The camera details of Google Pixel Fold are not available yet. However, it may borrow the camera system from the upcoming Pixel 6 Pro. According to the early renders, the Pixel 6 Pro will include a main, wide, and periscope zoom lens. Furthermore, the camera system is supposed to bring gimbal-like stabilization, an improved NPU and ISP.

--Battery is another area where Pixel devices lag behind. So, we would like to see better battery life on the Google Pixel Fold. The 4500mAh battery on the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 holds quite well. So, we are guessing the upcoming Pixel Fold will feature a similar capacity battery.

--Google is also working to improve software experience on the upcoming Pixel Fold. While the details are scarce, a taskbar similar to windows was spotted in Android 12 DP2 for large screen devices and foldable phones.

Google Pixel Fold launch date

Plenty of predictions are being made about the launch of Google Pixel Fold. A leaked internal Google document last year hinted towards a 2021 launch. This has been backed by leaks from Jon Prosser, who says that the smartphone may launch later this year or in early 2022, whereas Display analyst Ross Young believes it could arrive in quarter four this year.

A report from Elec says that Samsung will begin the production of OLED displays in October this year. Going by this report, we may see the Google Pixel Fold later this year.

Google Pixel Fold India price

Currently, there aren't any leaks around the pricing of Google Pixel Fold. However, it's obvious the Pixel Fold will be offered at a premium price. Considering there's no price history, it's hard to predict the price of this smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, the closest competitor to the upcoming Pixel Fold, is currently priced at Rs 1,35,000 in India. Keeping that in mind, we expect the Pixel Fold to arrive at a starting price of Rs 1,10,000 in the country.