Whether it’s great or not, the fact that it simply exists on the market is good news for the foldable device scene.
The Google Pixel Fold is finally here after more than a year of rumors that Google was working on releasing a foldable phone!
And sure enough, the speculations were accurate since earlier this week, users were able to check out some trusty leaks of the design along with some pieces of information about when an official release of the product can be expected.
That being said, rumor has it that the release of the so-called Pixel Fold is scheduled for May of next year!
The product renders have been shared by the YouTube channel Front Page Tech and they show that the phone uses the same inner folding form factor that Samsung is the innovator of.
Along with that, we can see that the phone has a black design that also carries over the Pixel 7 series design language.
Looking at the renders, however, the bezels look a little too thick for a new generation device released in 2023.
In fact, Google does not have the best reputation when it comes to creating the best hardware from the start and given the fact that constructing a foldable is far trickier than making a typical, slab phone, it’s safe to say we shouldn’t expect too much from this model.
They could still surprise us, of course, but even if this phone is a letdown, its very existence is needed and important and here’s why!
- Samsung foldables will finally have some competition.
As you may or may not know, the South Korean company has a virtual monopoly on the international foldable scene except for one country – China – where a bunch of foldables with superior hardware to Samsung are really popular on the local market.
In fact, some of them are not only better but also cheaper, reason for which these devices being released exclusively in China is so frustrating for customers but great news for Samsung since they have no competition on the international market.
The shortcomings that Samsung foldables still present, four generations in, are likely not because of a lack of skill but simply because of a lack of effort since they are never challenged to improve their models.
In other words, when brands compete, consumers have a lot to gain so no matter how good or bad the upcoming Google Pixel Fold is, it’s still welcome as it’s likely to push for improvements in future Samsung foldable models since Google will sell in the U.S., establishing itself as a notable competitor on one of Samsung’s biggest markets.
- Google will further optimize Android for foldables.
Ever since they were first launched, foldable phones did not work well with the Android system due to the two screen aspect ratios and the boxy aspect ratio that can be seen when the phone is unfolded.
In the beggining, some apps would not conform to this aspect ratio too well, ending up expanding to fill the screen, cropping off the edges or even becoming unusable as a result.
Of course, much has changed since, the issues not being as obvious by the second generation already.
But the solutions offered are not really the “cure” for the issue but simply a “band aid” covering it all up.
So it’s safe to say that with their foldable phone released, Google will have even more interest in optimizing Android for foldables.
- Apple may start paying more attention.
If Google joins the foldable movement, it’s possible that Apple will start seeing the appeal more as well and release their own.
In fact, Kuo Ming-chi and Ross Young, both reliable industry analysts, previously shared that Apple is currently working on their foldable phone but it’s obvious that they’re not in a hurry, its development being seemingly put on the back burner for now.
With that being said, it’s possible that Google dropping their own foldable phone will increase Apple’s interest in doing the same in the near future.