HIGHLIGHTS
* Google Pixel Fold has been spotted in the hands of a person riding on the New York City Subway.
* The foldable has been completely covered but the black bezels are noticeable.
* The design appears to be similar to the OPPO Find N2, with a compact cover screen and a large folding display.
Google’s long-awaited Pixel Fold smartphone is expected to launch this year. The tech giant teased its first-ever foldable phone at its annual Google I/O event in 2022.
Rumours suggest that the company will unveil the Pixel Fold at the upcoming Google I/O 2023 event which is set to be held in May.
Google phones have a history of being spotted on planes, trains and other public transports before their official launch.
This time, some blurry shots of the upcoming Pixel Fold have reportedly been uploaded online making them the first live leak of the upcoming foldable smartphone.
Google Pixel Fold has allegedly been spotted in public, ahead of its rumoured launch on May 10th at the I/O 2023.
A Redditor has shared images of a person using the foldable on the New York City Subway.
The Redditor claims to have seen a Google Employee holding the Pixel Fold in his hands.
We can catch a glimpse of what appears to be the phone’s cover screen and its noticeable black bezels through the images. Check it out.
Google Pixel Fold Live Images Pixel Fold
From the images, we only get to see the cover screen of the foldable, while the actual unfolded large screen is not visible. The design appears to be similar to the OPPO Find N2, with a compact cover screen and a large folding display. The Google Pixel Fold live images also reveal the person watching a video.
This is the first time we are seeing the Google Pixel Fold live and we expect to come across more such images in the near future. The phone will be available in Black colour but there could be other options as well.
Google Pixel Fold’s First Live Leak
According to a report by 9to5Google, a Reddit user took four shots after spotting the Pixel Fold on a New York City subway.
Out of these four images, only of them is a bit clear while the remaining ones are quite blurry to decipher. The clear image shows a folded device that the user is holding in the landscape orientation with the hinge exposed above the screen.
The image also shows the curve of the screen in the bottom-right corner. Meanwhile, the outer display’s edge and a metallic/reflective hinge are visible on top of the screen. Previously leaked renders showed Pixel Fold in lighter and darker variants.
However, the latest image likely showed the black colour option.
Pixel Fold’s leaked image also shows the screen in full screen mode. However, the top edge was covered and the front-facing camera wasn’t visible.
Earlier renders suggest that the selfie camera should be at the right and slimmer bezels.
The Reddit users also alleged seeing the ‘distinctive’ camera bar of the Pixel Fold.
Google Pixel Fold: What to expect
The Google Pixel Fold is expected to arrive with a wider display and an UI optimised for large-screens. This optimisation is likely to fit two apps side-by-side while multi-tasking. Google’s rumoured foldable is likely to have a bigger battery than both Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Oppo Find N2.
Faqs on Google Pixel Fold
1) Expected Features of Google Pixel Foldable?
Ans) Although there is little about the foldable smartphone that can be said with certainty, its features have been revealed by the tipsters who have claimed that the handset might feature a 7.57 inch inner display while the outer folded display might be 5.78 inch and also come with an ultra-thin glass cover.
It may also have a triple rear shooter with an IMX787 primary sensor, an S5K3J1 telephoto shooter and an IMX386 ultra-wide secondary camera while the foldable smartphone’s outer display with have an S5K3J1 telephoto selfie shooter as well.
Again, while not specified, the names of the foldable smartphones are said to be Pixel Notepad and Pixel Fold, which has to be confirmed by official sources, including its manufacturing details, which might be done by Foxconn China.
2) What is Google Pixel Fold rumored release date?
Ans) The Google Pixel Fold’s release date has long been open to speculation, now Front Page Tech has said it could launch in May 2023 along with the Pixel Tablet.
For what it’s worth that would line up with Google’s annual developer conference. And Google 1/0 2023 is slated for May 10.
It’s not unusual for Google to show off upcoming hardware at Google I/O. At the 2022 edition, we saw previews of the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 phones.
Display analyst Ross Young has suggested the Pixel Fold could arrive in the first quarter of 2023, at least going by his forecast of panel shipments and production.
Now that we’re in March, this seems like a longshot, but hopefully, we’ll see the Pixel Fold next year before the summer comes calling.
If you want yet another opinion, another source claims the Pixel Fold could instead arrive in late summer/early fall.
That would coincide with the likely launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but is far later than either of the other two sources are saying.
3) What is Google Pixel Fold price?
Ans) Some rumors indicate that the Pixel Fold could cost less than the Galaxy Z Fold line, while others say that it could as much as Samsung’s top tier foldables.
Front Page Tech has just said that the Pixel Fold could cost as much as $1,799 which is much more expensive than the Pixel 7 series and as much as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
9to5Google earlier reported that the Pixel Fold could cost less than the Galaxy Z Fold line, and more specifically around $1,400, which would be a welcome move.
Right now, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the most expensive foldable you can get, costing $1,799.
Flip phones like the new Galaxy Z Flip 4 or Motorola Razr 5G are a little more affordable at $999 and $1,399, respectively – affordable being a relative term in this case.
Google’s approach with its most recent Pixel phones has been to undercut the competition, with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both very competitively priced.
In fact, we think it’s one of the ways the Google Pixels beat the current iPhone and Galaxy phones.
5) What is Google Pixel Fold design?
Ans) Going by the rumors thus far, the Google Pixel Fold could look a lot like a thicker Google Pixel7 Pro from the outside, and then fold out like a Galaxy Z Fold 4 to reveal its larger internal display.
But unlike the latter phone, the Pixel Fold could have a shorter but wider outside display, offering a look that’s not too far away from the Oppo Find N.
New Google Pixel Fold renders seemingly based on leaked information, showcase this design and hint at a folding phone that sits between the Find N and Galaxy Z Fold 4, although one that will apparently weigh a lot more than either model.
A later plastic dummy of the Pixel Fold, presumably based on these leaks, was later revealed, showing how the design looks in reality, albeit with some of the features missing.
One Reddit user also claims to have seen the Pixel Fold in use on the New York Subway.
While the images they shared were inconclusive, it’s claimed that the phone has a block-shaped camera module similar to that seen in renders and on other Pixel phones.
Apparently the foldable Pixel will feature a 7.69-inch inner display and a 5.79-inch outer display, and measure 158.7 × 139.7 × 5.7mm (6.2 × 5.5 × 0.2 inches) when unfolded, or 8.3mm deep (0.3 inches) if you include the Pixel 7-style shiny metal camera bar.
And it’ll supposedly be available in either silver or black.
Developer Kuba Woiciechowski has leaked key display details of the Google Pixel Fold noting the resolution of the inner display is expected te be 2208 × 1840.
This is extremely close to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 specs as well that has a 7.6-inch inner display.
The inside display will also reportedly have a 120Hz refresh rate, although the leaker is not certain about this. In terms of brightness, we could see the display get 1200 nits of peak brightness with an average brightness of 800 nits.
One rumor suggests that the Pixel Fold could have a novel solution to avoiding the notch.
The rumor suggests it could have the camera on the bezel of the phone or it could do away with a camera altogether when the phone is opened out.
This rumor seems to have substance. Google’s latest patents show an in-bezel camera instead of a notch or pinhole.
This means that the Pixel Fold could opt to forgo the under-display camera at the expense of having as little bezel as possible.
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