Google Pixel Notepad leak tips low price for the rumored foldable phone

Get ready to order the Google Pixel Fold fast if and when it's revealed, as new rumors suggest it'll have an attractively low price, at least for a foldable. More importantly, that rumored price allegedly undercuts its biggest would-be rival.

Two independent sources speaking to 9to5Google claim that the Google foldable phone will cost around $1,400 when it launches. However, they add that this figure may still change before the phone is officially announced.

At this price, the Pixel foldable, previously reported to be officially named the Google Pixel Notepad, will be about $400 cheaper than the $1,800 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, currently the best foldable phone. If Google can match the Galaxy Z Fold 3 for quality and usability, then this would be a great price for the Pixel Fold to sit, similar to how the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro undercut the Samsung Galaxy S21 series without compromising on key flagship features.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold line has been gradually decreasing in price with each new generation. While we don't expect a $400 drop for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 to make it line up with this rumored Pixel Fold price, the current $400 difference may be smaller by the time both of these phones arrive.

The sources also say that the Pixel Fold will be available by the end of the year worldwide. There will be separate U.S. and global launches though, so U.K. readers may have to wait a month or two to see how the pricing and availability shake out over here.

The current crop of Pixel Fold rumors don't give us a full picture of the phone. We still know some interesting details like that the phone could have an Oppo Find N-like design as a book-style foldable with a shorter, squarer shape compared to the longer Galaxy Z Fold 3.

We hear that the Pixel Fold could run on the same Google Tensor chip as the Pixel 6 series. However, it's also tipped that the Pixel 6's 50MP main camera won't be present, with the foldable instead using only Google's previous 12MP sensor from the Pixel 5 as a rear sensor, alongside two front-facing 8MP cameras. While that doesn't match up well with the Galaxy Z Fold 3's triple rear cameras, there's still a strong chance that Google superior computational photography will play a part and deliver impressive photos. As ever, time will tell.