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Google could be the next major tech company to throw its hat into the foldable ring. There have been rumors fluttering for a while that a bendy Pixel phone might see the light of day, especially given the company’s focus on hardware in recent years. Although the name of a potential Google foldable phone is nowhere near confirmed — it could be called the Pixel Fold or maybe the Pixel Notepad — the rumor mill seems to have settled on a timeframe for a launch. According to reliable display analyst Ross Yong, it’ll launch as early as the spring of 2023. He also told CNET that «some panels have already shipped.»
So far the company has kept mum on the possibility of a foldable phone. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning and Pixel fans from hoping. Keep in mind that Google confirmed that it had been prototyping the folding technology back in 2019. Prior to that, it filed a patent application for a foldable device.
Don’t forget, Google isn’t the only company that’s reportedly joining the foldable phones bandwagon. It appears to be an open secret that Apple’s gearing up to do the same, though that may not show up till 2025. (Read CNET’s coverage about a potential iPhone Flip.) Samsung meanwhile, seems to be going full steam ahead with its foldable phones. The South Korean company launched its fourth generation of foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, at its Unpacked event in August. Pixel Fold design: More Oppo Find N than Galaxy Z Fold 4
Animations found in Android 12L, Google’s software designed specifically for large-screen devices such as tablets and foldable phones, have offered hints at the possible appearance of the Pixel Fold.
