You must watch this hands-on video showing off a Pixel Fold mock-up
A YouTube content creator with the handle Dave2Dave has posted a hands-on video with a Pixel Fold mock-up unit. The "blank model" of the first foldable Pixel is believed to be authentic as far as the dimensions are concerned. As pointed out in the video, these types of mock-ups could be used by case manufacturers to create cases for the Fold that can be on store shelves as soon as the phone is released.
The thing that Dave (his full name is Dave Lee) pointed out in the video is how thin the Pixel Fold is at 5.7mm. The camera bump adds another 2.5mm to the measurement. The video superimposes the three cameras expected on the rear camera bar and the 5.79-inch cover screen which will carry a 1080 x 2100 FHD+ resolution. The internal screen will measure 7.67 inches with an 1840 x 2208 resolution.
As expected, the mock-up of the Pixel Fold is more Oppo Find N2 than Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Dave's sources tell him that the hinge on the Pixel Fold will be closer to the style used on the Oppo Find N2 model which folds in a teardrop shape and this gentler angle allows the device to close without a gap and open with a less noticeable crease on the foldable display. That is unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4 which closes at "a more acute angle" resulting in the gap when closed and also helps create the crease on the screen.
With no camera cutout on the cover screen, we should expect a hole-punch camera on the display. There is a camera cutout on the top right of the internal screen. The top and bottom bezels of the tablet-sized screen are thick and measure 5.5mm-6mm. Lee calls such thick bezels "abnormal" on a foldable device but says he doesn't mind especially if it was done to keep the price down. He believes that by having the thick bezels and putting the camera there, Google could price the device $200-$300 cheaper than what it would have been with thin bezels and a hole-punch camera inside.
Dave also measured the vertical height of the Pixel Fold mock-up and discovered that the 124mm vertical height of the screen matches the same measurement on the Oppo Find N2's internal display. The Pixel Fold's internal display will be larger than the one on the Find N2. There will be a speaker on the top left of the device and another on the bottom right. This will allow for stereo sound no matter what orientation the phone is being held in.
The Pixel Fold might not be introduced until October
Interestingly, Lee says that having Google enter the foldable space will be a positive for foldables in general as more developers use Google's entry as an incentive to build more apps that take advantage of the form factor. He did note that he would be surprised if the Pixel Fold is priced at the rumored $1,700 which he considers to be too high for the phone..
The latest rumor calls for the Pixel Fold to be unveiled in October alongside the Pixel 8 line. Originally, the plan appeared to be to introduce the Fold in May during the Google I/O developer conference. But Samsung Display won't be mass producing the Fold's two screens until July or August leading to the delay. And as you can tell from the video, where the Galaxy Z Fold 4's internal screen is more portrait than landscape, the Find N2, and the Pixel Fold are more landscape than portrait.
The basic configuration of the Fold is expected to include 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The delay until October could give Google the time to equip the Pixel Fold with the Tensor 3 SoC instead of the Tensor 2; it also might allow the Pixel Fold to ship with Android 14 pre-installed instead of Android 13.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: