Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Google will launch its first foldable smartphone in June, challenging Samsung’s market-leading foldable phone business, according to internal communications seen by CNBC. It plans to announce the device at its annual developer conference, Google I/O, on May 10.
The Pixel Fold, known internally by the codename “Felix,” will have the “strongest hinge on a foldable” phone, according to the documents. It will cost upwards of $1,700 and will compete with Samsung’s $1,799 Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Google plans to market the Pixel Fold as water-resistant and pocket-sized, with an external screen measuring 5.8 inches, according to the documents. Images viewed by CNBC show that the phone will open like a book to reveal a small tablet-sized 7.6-inch screen, the same display size as Samsung’s competitor. It weighs 10oz, slightly heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it has a bigger battery that Google says will last 24 hours, or up to 72 hours in low power mode.
The Pixel Fold is powered by Google’s Tensor G2 chip, according to the documents. That’s the same processor that launched in last year’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones.
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.
Although hardware is a small part of Google’s revenue, the Pixel Fold is the most expensive phone in the company’s Google Pixel family. Google works on software, including Android and its app store Google Play, for third-party devices made by companies like Samsung, the current leader in the folding phone market.
The Pixel Fold will give Google a chance to show what a completely Google-made foldable phone experience is. Other Pixels, for example, have exclusive features not available on all Android phones, such as photo editing options powered by the Tensor processor.
The launch comes amid questions about Google and Samsung’s relationship. Earlier this week, Alphabet shares fell more than 3.5% on Monday after a Times report said Samsung was reportedly considering changing its default search engine from Google to Microsoft’s. Bing for its lineup of smartphones, which brings in an estimated $3 billion in annual revenue to Google.
The Alphabet-owned company will offer incentives in a bid to convince people to switch to the Pixel Fold, according to the documentation. For example, Google plans to offer a trade-in option to trade in an existing Pixel, iPhone or an Android-powered phone for a discount on the Pixel Fold. It also plans to offer a free Pixel Watch, the company’s latest smartwatch, to Pixel Fold buyers.
