What you need to know
- Google's foldable Pixel phone will launch before the end of the year, if a new rumor is to be believed.
- The phone is codenamed Passport and is expected to be powered by Google's in-house developed Tensor chipset.
- It is likely that the device will debut alongside the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Google's first foldable Pixel phone could be here sooner than expected, according to reliable leaker Evan Blass. The leaker claims to have heard from a trusted source that Google is planning to launch the device before the end of the year.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/1439827216343474176
Google has apparently been working on the foldable device for over two years now. It will take the fight to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3, which is the best foldable phone on the market right now.
The rumor comes less than a week after David Naranjo, senior director at Display Supply Chain Consultants, claimed that the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel Fold will both launch in the fourth quarter of the year. The upcoming phones are tipped to use 120Hz LTPO OLED panels from Samsung.
The Pixel Fold is expected to have the same Google Tensor chipset under its hood as the Pixel 6 series. The rest of its key specs, however, are yet to be revealed. Its retail branding, too, remains a mystery at this point.
The "Passport" isn't the only foldable phone that Google is currently working on. According to a recent report from 9to5Google, a second foldable Pixel codenamed "Jumbojack" has been spotted in the code for the upcoming Android 12.1 update.
The device is said to feature a similar design to the Galaxy Fold, with a large inner display and a smaller cover display. More details about "Jumbojack" are likely to surface online over the coming months.
While Blass hasn't provided a specific launch timeframe, the foldable Pixel will probably be announced at Google's upcoming fall hardware event. That said, there's a good chance the foldable will be limited to a handful of markets, just like the Pixel 5a and the Pixel 6 series.
