telecommunications
Google confirms entry into the folding smartphone business
Pixel Fold is the name of Google’s foldable smartphone. photo
© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
So far, Samsung in particular has been strong in the market for foldable phones. Now Google wants to follow suit. Not much is known about the Pixel Fold yet.
Google has confirmed that the internet giant will release a foldable smartphone. A short video released Thursday shows a phone that folds open into a tablet.
There were no details about the device called Pixel Fold. However, reference was made to May 10, when the Google I/O developer conference takes place at the headquarters in Mountain View.
So far, Samsung has been particularly strong in the foldable phone business. The South Korean smartphone market leader has two models on offer: one that folds open to the size of a tablet, the other is more compact and unfolds as big as a regular phone.
Chinese suppliers have also presented foldable smartphones in recent years. But Huawei, for example, was stopped by US sanctions in international business – and devices from other suppliers are also available in rather small numbers, especially in the home market of China.
The US broadcaster CNBC reported in April that Google’s smartphone called Pixel Fold will have a 7.6-inch display when unfolded. It would be the same size as the competitor Samsung Fold. When it is folded, you will be able to use the 5.8-inch screen on the outside.
In recent years, Google has expanded support for folding smartphones with the Android operating system that the group is developing. However, market researchers assume that the devices will remain a niche segment of the smartphone market in the coming years.