The Google Pixel Fold was a great first foldable, but it had some issues. With that in mind, here’s what we know about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
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Published on3 minutes ago
Update: July 25, 2024 (12:45 PM ET): We’ve updated the Pixel 9 Pro Fold rumor hub to include the latest leaks, including official promo material confirming the phone’s specs and an exclusive Android Authority report about the phone’s new display sizes.
Original article: There was a long trail of rumors and leaks before the Google Pixel Fold launched. By this time last year, Google’s first foldable was already out in the real world. Google’s second foldable is yet to launch officially, but thanks to a stream of recent leaks, we finally have concrete details to share about the phone. We’ve got the low down on the specs, design, and other hardware of Google’s upcoming foldy boi, along with confirmation from Google that its second generation foldable will be called the “Pixel 9 Pro Fold” instead of “Pixel Fold 2.” Read on for all the latest.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold: At a glance
When is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold expected to come out? The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is launching alongside the Pixel 9 series at the August 13 launch event.
What new features could the Pixel 9 Pro Fold have? Along with the new branding, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will most certainly launch with a complete design overhaul, as well as processor and RAM upgrades.
How much might the Pixel 9 Pro Fold cost? The only pricing leak we’ve had so far suggests that Google could keep the price unchanged and offer its 2024 foldable for around $1,799. Will there be a Pixel 9 Pro Fold?
February 2024 was the first time we heard anything substantial about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It looked like the device exists but is in the early stages of development. Google is clearly dedicated to foldable technology, and we don’t expect the company to stop at just one foldable phone.
As expected, a second-generation foldable is coming from Google, and the company has confirmed that it will be called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
This name wasn’t always on the cards. Google used to call the foldable the Pixel Fold 2, but our sources claim that Google started referring to it as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as of April 15, 2024.
There are also rumors that Google could be working on a flip-style phone similar to the Galaxy Z Flip series. An exclusive Android Authority leak of Google’s Pixel roadmap suggested this in 2022. However, we have no hard evidence for this phone quite yet.What is the most likely Pixel 9 Pro Fold release date?
Google Pixel Fold — June 27, 2023
It was difficult to predict when the next Pixel Fold would launch since there has been only one launch in this series. Earlier this year, we revealed in an exclusive that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold might feature the Tensor G4 chipset instead of the Tensor G3 found on the Pixel 8 series. This basically confirmed that Google might launch the Pixel 9 Pro Fold along with the Pixel 9 series because that’s when it generally debuts the new Tensor chip.
In an interesting twist, Google announced an August 13 launch date for the Pixel 9 series. When the company confirmed the new name of the foldable, it confirmed that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will launch on the same day as the Pixel 9 series, i.e., on August 13.What will the Pixel 9 Pro Fold look like?
Google has confirmed what the Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks like through its official reveal video above. The teaser pretty much confirms the design changes we’ve been seeing in the past leaks, including this Pixel 9 Pro Fold prototype. The prototype photo suggested that the second-generation Google foldable could feature a narrower form factor and a redesigned camera module.
Earlier this week, we exclusively reported that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will feature completely new dimensions for both its screens. The inner screen will measure 8 inches diagonally, while the original Pixel Fold’s was 7.6 inches. This change in size is largely due to the external screen getting taller and narrower to fit a more conventional ~20:9 aspect ratio. It’s also grown in size, with a diagonal of 6.24 inches compared to 5.8 inches on the original Pixel Fold. An interesting tidbit is that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s outer display dimensions feel very close to those of the Pixel 9’s screen.
Apart from the new sizes, the screens are also going to get a lot brighter. Our report points toward a peak brightness of 1,800 nits and 1,600 nits for the external and internal screens, respectively. The same numbers were at 1,200 nits and 1,000 nits on the original Pixel Fold. The refresh rate on both screens is going to be 120Hz.
Our source also told us that the selfie camera cutout on the inner display of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is in the top right corner instead of the top bezel, as was the case on the Pixel Fold. Unfortunately, the information we received tells us that the display crease is still very much visible on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
In terms of the rest of the design, the official teaser has confirmed that the camera bar we saw on the Pixel Fold will be replaced by a much smaller squarish camera bump on the top left of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It appears to have four camera sensors, an LED flash, and a microphone. However, the phone will only have three camera sensors. More on that in a bit.
The dimensions of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are also very different from those of the original Pixel Fold, at 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.54mm. This means the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be taller and thinner than the original.
