Google I/O took place on the 10th of May, and the company brought with it a number of goodies, including the Google Pixel 7a and the Google Pixel Tablet. One such device that also launched is the Google Pixel Fold, and it’s the company’s first foray into the world of foldables. There’s a catch though: its launch is severely limited, and here in Ireland, you won’t be able to get one.
Google Pixel Fold: Design
The Pixel Fold has a sleek design akin to the rest of the Pixel lineup. The device folds in half to create a compact tablet, making it easy to carry around. The outer screen is a 5.8-inch OLED display, while the inner screen is a 7.6-inch OLED display. Both screens are sharp and vibrant, and they offer a great viewing experience.
The Pixel Fold is available in three colors: Stormy Black, Sorta Sunny, and Coral. It’s made from durable aluminium and has a Gorilla Glass Victus display. The device is also IPX8 water resistant, so you won’t have to worry about it getting wet.
Google Pixel Fold: Performance and Battery Life
The Pixel Fold is powered by the Google Tensor G2 chip, which is the same chip that powers the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. This chip is decently powerful and offers smooth performance even when you’re multitasking, as we found in our own experience when using the Pixel 7 Pro. The Pixel Fold also has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, so you can keep all of your apps and files close at hand.
The problem with this particular chipset is that its successor, the Google Tensor G3 chipset, will be arriving in October. In other words, if you purchase this device, you’ll be spending a lot of money for a device that will have an outdated chipset in just a couple of months. You don’t just buy a foldable for performance, but that’s definitely a hard pill to swallow.
The Pixel Fold has a large 4,600mAh battery that one would hope can last a single day on a charge. The device also supports fast charging, so you can quickly top it up when you need to. The worry is that because of Google Tensor G2’s battery issues on the Pixel 7 Pro (which was decent but not world-class), it might get dodgy when thinking about the larger screens that this device has.
Google Pixel Fold: Camera
The Pixel Fold has a triple-lens rear camera system that includes a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens. The Pixel series is. known for its cameras, and the Pixel Fold will very likely have the best camera system on any foldable available today. The Pixel Fold also has a 10.8-megapixel front-facing camera that’s perfect for taking selfies and video calls.
Not only will it likely be one of the most powerful cameras in the foldable space, it’s also incredibly versatile too. There’s your primary sensor, a wide angle, and a telephoto, along with a selfie camera on the outer display and a selfie camera in the bezel of the inner display. There are cameras galore, and you’ll even be able to take selfies with the primary back camera too.
Google Pixel Fold: Android 13 on board
The Pixel Fold runs Android 13, which is the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. Android 13 is packed with new features and improvements, including a new multitasking mode, a new notification system, and a new design language. The Pixel Fold also has some exclusive features, such as Live Translate and Dual Screen interpreter mode.
Live Translate is a new feature that allows you to translate text in real-time. This is great for when you’re traveling or interacting with people who speak a different language. Dual Screen interpreter mode is a new feature that allows you to have a conversation with someone who speaks a different language. It will automatically translate the conversation for you, so you can easily communicate with each other.
Pixels are known for their easy-to-use software, and it’s expected that the Fold will be no different. It doesn’t have the most features in the world, but there are quite a few, and you’ll have a great time with this device. There are some software features still to come, like dual-screen multitasking, but when they arrive, they should be pretty good.
Google Pixel Fold: Pricing and availability
The Pixel Fold is priced at $1,799, which is a bit more expensive than some of the other foldable phones on the market. You’ll be able to pick it up in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, so if you’re Irish and really want one, you might have to go to some lengths to import it. If you pre-order it, you’ll get a free Google Pixel Watch alongside it. It’s a shame it won’t be available in Ireland, but we hope that it can come here in the future.
The Google Pixel Fold will start shipping in June.
