Everything you need to know

Google’s first foldable smartphone has finally landed, the Pixel Fold is its name. The phone got announced on May 10, during Google I/O 2023. It was basically the showpiece of that whole keynote, which is understandable.

The Pixel Fold is a book-style foldable, but it takes a different approach than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It’s closer to the OPPO Find N2 due to its horizontal orientation when unfolded. That makes it wider than you think when folded too, and shorter as well. It definitely looks like it belongs in the Pixel series of smartphones, though. In this article, we’ll try to group a lot of useful info together, so that you’re well-informed about Google’s latest offering.

Google Pixel Fold specs

Here are the specs for the Google Pixel Fold.

How much does the Google Pixel Fold cost?

The Google Pixel Fold starts at $1,799, that much we do know. That model includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Google did announce a more pricey variant too, with more storage, 512GB. That is the only difference between them. Needless to say, that variant will be a bit more expensive, it’ll cost you $1,819.

When will the Google Pixel Fold be available?

The Google Pixel Fold will go on sale on May 27. The good news is, you can pre-order it today, on launch day, May 10. It is available to pre-order from Google directly only, though. That will change later this month, as carriers and other partners are expected to open pre-orders later on. The device will be available both via the carriers, and retailers. More on that in the next section.

Where can I buy it?

Starting today, you can pre-order it from Google, while it will get a wider availability later this month. It will be available from T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Amazon, Best Buy, and more. We’ll be adding links below as the device becomes available.

What carriers will support the Google Pixel Fold?

The Google Pixel Fold is being sold as an unlocked phone, and you’ll be able to use it on basically all carriers. It doesn’t matter if you’re on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon, you’re good to go. The phone supports both mmWave and Sub-6 5G networks, so you’ll also get 5G regardless of which carrier you choose.

If you opt for an MVNO instead, that’s not a problem either. Google Fi, Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, and so on.

What colors does it come in?

Google has announced only two color variants of the Pixel Fold. The device comes in Obsidian and Porcelain color options. These are basically black and white colors. The Obsidian model comes with a black backplate, while its hinge and camera island are dark gray. The Porcelain model includes a white backplate, in addition to a silver hinge and camera island.

Some would argue that these are not ‘fun’ colors, but it makes sense. This handset costs a lot, and it’s also a first-gen product. Google went with the colors it thought would sell best to its target consumers. The Porcelain variant will definitely hide fingerprints better than the Obsidian model will, by the way.

What new features are coming with the Google Pixel Fold?

The Pixel Fold comes with a mix of great old features and some new ones. We’ll focus on the new ones here, as there’s simply too much to cover. We will, however, also mention some existing ones. Do note that we’ll include both software and hardware features here.

Hinge

The Pixel Fold’s hinge is made out of stainless steel. Google says that the hinge is “smooth, secure, and the most durable of any foldable phone” (among foldable phones in markets where the Pixel Fold is sold). We’ll, of course, have to test it in order to figure out if it lives up to this. There are a lot of great hinge implementations out there.

Tabletop mode

The Google Pixel Fold comes with a Tabletop mode feature. We’ve seen something similar on other foldables, but not yet on a Pixel, of course. You’ll be able to set the phone on a table, fold it to a certain degree, and that way you enter Tabletop mode. This is great for video calls, taking pictures, watching videos, and so on. Not only do you get a software feature here, but the phone also acts as a stand too.

Two-panel shade

Google also added a “two panel shade” to the Pixel Fold. When you swipe up from the top, if the phone is unfolded, you’ll be able to see both your notifications and quick toggles on the same screen. They’ll be set side by side, with the notifications on the right side. That was you will have everything in one place. That makes sense as there’s a lot of screen real estate to work with here.

Multitasking windows paired

If you split your screen to run two apps side by side, either horizontally or vertically (which is possible), the Pixel Fold will remember that if you switch apps. It’ll keep that combination of apps in the overview menu for you, so that you can easily multitask. That makes all the sense in the world, and yet not all foldables offer the feature.

New taskbar

You will find a new Android taskbar here too. It allows you to swipe from the bottom to access a bunch of apps which you can then either tap, or utilize for split screen. That taskbar will also pop up every time you enter the overview/multitasking window.

Camera features

The Pixel Fold includes a promising set of camera hardware. It’s different than what we get on the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 7a. Google decided to differentiate, but the camera hardware sure looks interesting. To complement it, we’ll get Google’s well-known image processing, and a number of software features we know and love. Features such as: Night Sight, Face Unblur, Magic Eraser, Portrait Mode, and much more. On top of that, 5x optical zoom is possible here, in addition to 20x Super Res Zoom.

IPX8 water resistance

We’ve seen quite a few foldable smartphones in the market thus far, but not all of them offer water resistance. In fact, until recently, only Samsung’s devices did. Well, the Pixel Fold comes with IPX8 certification. That is not as good as IP68 that many regular smartphones come with, but if you get caught in the rain or something like that, you don’t have to worry. Needless to say, that is important.

Should I buy the Google Pixel Fold?

Should you buy the Google Pixel Fold? Well, that’s a rather complex question, actually. For most people, the answer is probably no, but then again, most people don’t really want or need a foldable phone. If you do have the money to get it, and don’t mind spending it, and you wanted a Pixel experience on a foldable, then, by all means… go for it. This phone will not only give you the stock Android experience in a foldable form factor, but it’ll also provide you with a truly capable set of cameras. That is not something we see on many foldables. In fact, the Pixel Fold could end up offering the best set of cameras out of any foldable phone.

Updated January 30, 2024:

Google opted to release a bunch of new features as part of the Pixel Feature Drop for January 2024. The Pixel Fold is, of course, one of the devices that is receiving these features. So, let’s see what’s new on the device, shall we? We’ll talk about all the new features below, separately.

Circle to Search

Have you ever wanted to simply make a circle around something you want to search on Google? Well, now you can. You can simply long-press on the home button or the navigation bar to activate the feature. Simply make a circle around what you want to search, and that’s it. You can also scribble or tap in order to search, by the way. This feature will start rolling out on January 31. Do note that this feature seems to be coming to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro first.

Magic Compose for Google Messages

Have you ever wanted to make your messages sound more dramatic than they are? Well, Magic Compose can do that for you. It can rewrite your drafted messages with ease, and make them sound completely different, if you want. This feature seems to be coming to the Pixel 8 series phones first.

Photomoji

Photomoji is a new feature that can create emojis for you, from real-life people or animals. Simply choose a favorite image of your cat, and Google will scan it, and create a usable cutout for you to use.

Quick Share

Nearby Share is no more, as it was replaced by Quick Share. The feature remains pretty much the same, even though Google basically partnered up with Samsung to rename it. You can still send files via WiFi across platforms (Android, ChromeOS, and Windows).