Here's why a foldable Google Pixel phone is great news for us all

There are rumors suggesting that a folding Pixel phone may be getting announced this year, sporting a large 7.6-inch display made by none other than the king of displays – Samsung. We don't know too much more about the upcoming Google foldable; whether it would be called the Pixel Fold or something more original, but that's not even what matters right now.

As the dreaded 2020 was nearing its end, many of us were getting charged with expectations of an innovative 2021 – bringing us rollable phones like the aptly named LG Rollable and folding phone successors to the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Perhaps even a few new dual-screen phones like the Microsoft Surface Duo and LG Wing.

So far though, 2021 has been rather standard, if not a bit disappointing. The LG Rollable and an LG Wing 2 are likely to never happen with LG having left the phone market, while anything else exciting is yet to be announced.

But things will get interesting in the phone world by the end of this year, and the rumors of an upcoming Pixel Fold is a particularly good sign which we can all celebrate. Because...

The Pixel Fold will create a more competitive folding phone market

Chinese giants like Xiaomi, Oppo and Huawei are all working on impressive new folding and rollable phones. Huawei has already released the likes of the Mate Xs 5G, while Oppo showed off its upcoming rollable Oppo X phone seven whole months ago.

Similarly, Xiaomi's Mi Mix Fold 2 has just been leaked to release in Q4 of 2021. But there aren't many brands that are better-known in the west, who are making foldable phones yet, other than Samsung with its Galaxy Z Fold 2, Z Flip and Motorola with its Razr.

With competition comes innovation, and while Samsung has been pretty amazing with just the leap from the first Galaxy Fold to the Z Fold 2 in terms of design updates and polish, we could always use more options and challengers.

Aside from innovation, the added competition from Google will likely help lower the overall cost of folding screen technology, thus leading to more affordable foldable phones. Speaking of which, a Galaxy Z Fold Lite has already been the subject of rumors for plenty of months now.

A Pixel Fold would solidify that folding phones are not a fad

If two of the biggest names in the world of smartphones – Samsung and Google have folding phones out there, more casual users will be tempted to give foldables a try and more competitor brands will be just as tempted to enter the foldable smartphone market.

Even Apple is likely to follow through on a foldable iPhone in 2021. And we know Apple often only enters a market once the technology has become "good enough" and there is solid proof that the majority of phone users are willing to invest in said technology.

The Pixel Fold is technically going to be Google's return to Android tablets

Google used to release some amazing Android tablets, such as my personal favorite – the Google Pixel C from late 2015. But likely due to unsatisfactory sales numbers, in part thanks to those tablets' high prices, Google has stopped making Android tablets in recent years and started focusing on Chromebooks instead. Right now arguably only Samsung has a hold on the premium Android tablet market with the likes of the Galaxy Tab S7+.

A Pixel Fold would not only be Google's return to the Android tablet market (as pointed out by Android Central), but quite the next-gen return too – as the device would be both a phone and a 7.6-inch tablet. And that screen size is almost reaching the 7.9 inches of the iPad mini, which bodes well, considering the iPad is crushing the tablet market right now and could use some competition from Android's big daddy Google.

The bottom line is, 2021 could be one of the most exciting years in the phone world, and the Google Pixel Fold, should it become reality, will be one of the main reasons.