Pixel Notepad tipped to be a good deal cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 3
It was reported not too long ago that Google's first foldable phone, which will seemingly be known as the Pixel Notepad, would be cheaper than Samsung's latest bendable handset, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and now, a concrete price tag has emerged.
9to5Google has learned from two sources that Google is considering a price of around $1,400 for the first foldable Pixel. That would make it $400 cheaper than the Fold 3 which goes for $1,799.99. While that may sound great at first glance, keep in mind that foldable phones require complicated parts that are usually costlier. That explains why the first crop of foldable phones released by Samsung and Huawei back in 2019 was in the neighborhood of $2,000.
Samsung has presumably managed to bring the price down because of something called economies of scale whereby costs of production go down as production volume increases. So, it's a little hard to understand how Google is targeting a price of $1,400 for the Pixel Notepad, but then again this is not beyond the realms of possibility, considering Oppo's first foldable phone, the Find N, costs the equivalent of $1,200.
Speaking of which, the Pixel Notepad is expected to have a square aspect ratio like the Oppo Find N instead of the taller aspect ratio of the Fold 3, which could make writing on the cover screen feel more convenient.
Pixel Notepad may arrive later this year
The Notepad will allegedly have the in-house Tensor chip under the hood, the same processor that powers the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The device is unlikely to get the flagship range's 50MP rear camera though, and will instead go for Pixel 5's 12.2-megapixel IMX363 sensor, which will be accompanied by a 12MP ultrawide camera. The phone is also expected to have two 8MP front cameras, one for the main screen and one for the cover display.
The aforementioned 50MP sensor is physically larger than the sensors Google is expected to use for the Notepad, and would have increased the thickness of the device. Besides, even Samsung's best foldable phones don't exactly have stellar camera setups, so these specs are unlikely to be deal-breakers for most prospective buyers.
It was previously reported that the Pixel Notepad would initially only be available in the US and today's report says that the device will be released internationally by the end of 2022. While that doesn't tell us anything about the US launch, if were to speculate, we'd assume a Q3 unveiling. Before that, we are likely to see the Pixel 6a, which a recent leak says will be revealed in May.
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