Google releases images of first foldable smartphone

In videos posted on Twitter and YouTube, Google teased a Pixel phone with a vertical hinge that opens to reveal a tablet-sized screen. The company will host its annual developer conference at its Mountain View headquarters next week, where the search giant is rumored to unveil the budget Pixel 7a, the latest version of Android, and advances in its AI chatbot Bard.

More and more companies are showing off their products before the official event to attract attention and lead expectations in a saturated market where surprises are hard to come by.

Despite the huge interest in foldable smartphones and the resurgence of clamshell phones among TikTok stars and celebrities, the foldable smartphone market remains relatively small. Samsung dominates the category, followed by Motorola/Lenovo, Oppo, and Huawei. They will account for just 0.7% of the smartphone market in 2021 and an estimated 2% in 2022, according to ABI Research.

The high price is also a factor that prevents users from accessing it. Pixel Fold is rumored to cost from 1,700 USD.

It seems Google waited until the supporting technology became more advanced. Early versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold had screen issues, and most apps weren’t optimized for the new design. Now, according to ABI Research analyst Michael Inouye, both the software and hardware are “mature,” which is appropriate for Google to launch the Pixel Fold.

According to VTC