Which date is the Pixel Fold release date? At the Google I/O 2023 event that happened on May 10, Google officially launched its first folding phone model with the Google Pixel Fold after several rumors and leaks.
Pixel Fold is considered Google's newest flip phone that will become a direct competitor of Galaxy Z Fold 4 from Samsung in the folding phone space.
In the past, with the Pixel brand, Google has launched low-end Pixel phones that bring Google much success. At present, the Pixel Folding Phone model is Google's completely new effort. In the field of foldable smartphones, Google isn't the first to enter this space, but it's still early enough for Google to make a big impact on this potential market.
Although this is Google's first attempt at a folding phone, Google has put a lot of effort and time into making the Folding Pixel Phone become an attractive smartphone with many competitive features. Google invested $1,800 in the Pixel Fold to make it a head-to-head competitor to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Pre-orders for this Google folding phone model start May 10, which was at the same time as the Google I/O 2023 event. Pre-orders in May will be shipped to customers in June, which means a month later for receiving preorders.
The Pixel Fold is a portable handheld device that transforms between a standard smartphone and a small tablet by folding it in half. The Google Flip Phone is convenient because the hinge is stiff but not bulky, the screen looks good, and it feels like a worthy item. Additionally, Google apps and software work fine on it.
The Pixel Fold follows the type of a regular-sized phone that unfolds into a small tablet. This first Google foldable phone transforms from a compact 5.8-inch phone into a 7.6-inch tablet thanks to its flexible display and hinge, providing you with a spacious screen to run apps, watch videos, play games, or whatever you want to do with your cell phone device
Official Pixel Fold Specifications
Both screens of the Pixel Fold are OLED panels. The 2208 x 1840 pixel internal display reaches 1450 nits, covered by super-thin glass plus a sturdy screen protector. The external display is 1080 x 2092 pixels, equipped with Gorilla Glass Victus and the nits of brightness can reach up to 1550. With the above brightness levels, the screen inside and out can be used outdoors. In terms of refresh rate, both screens have a 120Hz refresh rate.
The Pixel Fold becomes an outstanding device with the Tensor 2 processor found in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, paired with 12GB of RAM. In terms of capacity, as previously rumored, you can get 256 or 512GB of storage.
Google has claimed "more than 24 hours" of battery life from the Pixel Fold's approximately 4,800mAh battery system. The Folding Pixel can charge 7.5W wirelessly, 21W wired charging, and can fast charge at up to 30W.
There are a total of five cameras on the Pixel Fold. There are two 9.5- and 8-megapixel cameras, one on the outside for selfies and one above the inner screen for video calling. Then there are three rear cameras: a 48-megapixel optically stabilized main camera, a 10.8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom.
Compare Pixel and Z Fold 4 Samsung
It's impossible to talk about the Pixel Fold without comparing it to Galaxy Z Fold 4. Overall, the two devices are very similar, but Google has made some choices that differ from Samsung in many respects.
What's most obvious is the Aspect Ratio on both screens: the Pixel Fold's outer display is shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 4's screens. While the internal screen of the Z Fold 4 is more vertical, the internal screen on the Folding Pixel Fold has a horizontal aspect ratio, which leads to the feeling that apps also tend to display better on the screen, apps don’t get weirdly stretched or compressed, especially when using split-screen multitasking to run two apps at the same time in the Google’s new flip phone.
The Pixel Fold has high aesthetic value priority because when the hinge is fully folded, there are no gaps between the screens. While Samsung's folding phones cannot meet that standard.
The Pixel Fold's ultra-durable hinge is made of stainless steel. Furthermore, Google says it can withstand up to 200,000 openings and closings. Plus, you can turn the Pixel Fold into a mini laptop and just watch videos on it without having to hold it. The Google Folding Pixel has an IPX8 weather resistance rating, which means it can withstand being exposed to water but not dust.
Super lightweight design is also one of the outstanding advantages of Pixel Fold. According to Google executives who demoed the device, they showed the device to be just under 6mm thick, which is considerably thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. When closed, the Pixel Fold measures 12mm, which could be thicker than today's typical phones. However, the fact that it's not too thick and can fit most pockets. With a 12mm thick folding screen when folded, the Pixel Fold truly doesn't bring users the feeling of awkwardness. A 12mm thick folding screen phone model like Pixel Phone is considered the most prominent because when compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, this device has a thickness of nearly 16mm.
Pixel Fold launched with Android 13. Google promised that Pixel Fold's going to get updated to Android 14 later this year to make it more outstanding. In particular, with Android 14 Google will roll out a dual-screen "interpreter" mode for Google Translate, which will use the Pixel Fold's inner and outer screens at the same time to translate conversations. Additionally, five years of software and security updates for it also is guaranteed by Google.
Drawbacks of Google Pixel Fold
The Pixel Fold doesn't support exporting to an external display. While the Galaxy Z Fold 4 can connect to an external computer and an entire desktop environment.
Running 2 apps in parallel is impossible with Pixel Fold. Samsung will allow you to run three applications on the screen at the same time which improves the user's work performance.
Official Google Pixel Fold Price
One thing to note about the Pixel Fold is that it will be sold in certain markets, including the US, UK, Germany, and Japan. In the US, the Pixel Fold will launch for $1,799 for pre-orders opened on May 10 at the Google Store. The device will only be available in “Obsidian” and “Porcelain” colors. A 512GB version will also be available for $1,919. The Google Pixel Fold price is considered too high for some customer segments although Google is offering pre-order promotions such as strong trade-in value and free gifts.
Delays in launching the Google Pixel Fold give Google an advantage in that Google can observe the drawbacks of Samsung's Z Fold 4. As a result, Pixel Fold has solved a lot of customers' concerns about the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and helped Google's new flip phone no longer make those mistakes. However, are the outstanding advantages of Pixel Fold true as Google's announcement about Pixel Fold? The answer will come when Pixel Fold reaches real customers after many months of use.