Google Pixel Fold was launched at the Google I/O 2023 event on Wednesday, May 10. As expected, following multiple leaks and rumours, the first foldable smartphone from Google is powered by the in-house Tensor G2 SoC. The Google Pixel Fold runs on Android 13 and it flaunts triple rear cameras. It comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The foldable has a 180-degree folding hinge and is backed by a 4,821mAh battery. The Pixel Fold will compete with the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, Oppo Find N2 Flip, and Huawei Mate X2.
Google Pixel Fold price, availability
The price of the Google Pixel Fold starts at $1,799 (roughly Rs. 1,47,500) for the variant with 256GB storage. For the model with 512GB storage, you’ll have to shell out $1,919(roughly Rs. 1,57,300). The phone will be available in Obsidian and Porcelain colour options. The company is offering Pixel Watch free for customers purchasing the Pixel Fold.
The Google Pixel Fold is already available for pre-order in the US and should reach customers starting next month. The foldable will only be sold in select markets around the world.
Google also took the wraps off of the Pixel 7a during the Google I/O keynote. It is priced at Rs. 43,999 in India and will go on sale on Flipkart from May 11.
Google Pixel Fold specifications
The dual-SIM Google Pixel Fold runs on Android 13 out of the box and features a 7.6-inch inner display (1,840 x 2,208 pixels) with a 6:5 aspect ratio, 380ppi pixel density, and 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 5.8-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,092 pixels) OLED outer display with a 17.4:9 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The external display has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, while the inner display has a plastic coating. It is powered by Google’s Tensor G2 SoC, coupled with a Titan M2 security chip and 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Google is promising five years of Pixel updates for the foldable.
For optics, Pixel Fold carries a triple rear camera unit, comprising a 48-megapixel primary wide-angle lens with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), CLAF and an f/1.7 aperture. The camera setup also includes a 10.8-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 121-degree field of view and an f/2.2 aperture and a 10.8-megapixel dual PD telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 20x Super Res Zoom.
For selfies, there is a 9.5-megapixel sensor with a 1.22 pm pixel width, f/2.2 aperture, and fixed focus on the outer display. Further, it features an 8-megapixel inner selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus. Google has also packed a Magic Eraser feature for clearing out distractions from an image. It also includes Photo Unblur functionality for making blurry pictures sharper and Night Sight for taking sharp pictures in low-light conditions. Other photography features onboard include Real Tone, Long Exposure, Panorma, and Portrait among others.
The Pixel Fold comes in two storage variants with up to 512GB of inbuilt storage. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, GPS, Google Cast, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, barometer, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, hall sensor, proximity sensor, and light sensor. The phone also includes a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for authentication. The phone also supports a face unlock feature. It also includes stereo speakers and three microphones. It has access to Google One VPN.
Google has provided a 4,821mAh battery on the Pixel Fold with support for 30W charging. The foldable can also be charged wirelessly on a standard Qi charger. The battery is said to offer more than 24 hours of playback time and up to 72 hours of standby time on a single charge. It measures 139.7×79.5×12.1mm when folded and 139.7×158.7×5.8mm when unfolded. It weighs 283 grams.