The Google Pixel Fold 2 should arrive this year, possibly as soon as the spring. But there's also a chance it appears in the fall, carrying a new name.
Whatever name the follow-up to the original Google Pixel Fold sports, the new model should introduce a number of improvements. The first Pixel Fold was an impressive foldable, thanks to its wide front display, high-quality cameras and intuitive multitasking. And while flawed in places (thick bezels, some apps don't go full-screen), Google's first attempt to make a foldable still earned itself a place on our list of the best foldable phones.
But the pressure is on Google to push the envelope with the Pixel Fold 2, as it will face some tough competition from the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6, OnePlus Open and other foldables. The Pixel Fold 2 is tipped to feature a narrower and sleeker design with less of a camera bump, a much more powerful Tensor G4 chip (maybe) and other upgrades. Here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel Fold 2 so far — including the possibility of the phone becoming part of the main Pixel lineup.
Google Pixel Fold 2 release date speculation and price
We don’t know the Pixel Fold 2 release date yet but we expect that Google is preparing to release a second foldable at some point before the end of the year. The logical assumption would be that Google announces the phone at Google I/O 2024 in May, ready for a release sometime this summer — as was the case last year. But that may not happen.
Android Authority speculates that the Pixel Fold 2 could have a different ship date than its predecessor. Apparently ,the phone only started its Engineering Validation Test (EVT) at the start of 2024, which suggests it won’t be ready for a launch shortly after Google I/O. However, that doesn’t discount the possibility of the phone arriving later this year.
If the Pixel Fold 2 doesn’t launch at I/O, then we may instead see it launch along the Pixel 9 series. Which would nicely tie into rumors that the new foldable may skip over the Tensor G3 in favor of the G4.
Taking that rumor one step further, Android Authority predicts we'll see four new phones from Google in the fall. Those would be the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, as you'd expect. But in addition to a big-screen Pixel 9 Pro joining a smaller Pro, there's also talk of a Pixel 9 Pro Fold. That latter device would be the renamed Pixel Fold 2. (To avoid any confusion, we're going to keep calling this model the Pixel Fold 2 until further reports confirm the name change.)
Whatever name the new Fold features, there’s no word on pricing at this early stage. We don’t expect the Pixel Fold 2 to cost less than the Pixel Fold’s $1,799 starting price, but given the current trend of smartphone price increases we wouldn’t rule that out until we hear otherwise.
Google Pixel Fold 2 design and display
A design leak suggests that the Pixel Fold 2 may look a little different to its predecessor. Rather than having a wider cover display, which we preferred to the narrow displays of phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google may be slimming things down a bit.
Sources also claim that the interior display will adopt more of a square-ish aspect ratio, similar to that of the OnePlus Open. It’s possible that both of these changes could be in response to complaints that the Pixel Fold didn’t have enough optimized apps — leading to black bars. Sources also told Android Authority that it would lead to an even slimmer design, which we hope means there’s a little less weight to carry around.
Leaked images have also shown a big change could be coming to the back of the Pixel Fold 2. Rather than the horizontal camera bar, which has been in use since the release of the Pixel 6, the Fold 2 may have a smaller, fatter camera bump that lives in the top right corner. The image shows four lenses stacked together in pairs.
It doesn’t look great, so we’re hoping this is just a prototype design that either gets replaced, or is seriously slimmed down for the final Pixel Fold 2 model.
A recent exclusive from SmartPrix has shown the first 360 render video for the Pixel Fold 2, as well as more specifics about its overall shape. According to the reports it looks like Google is aiming for the Pixel Fold 2 to be the thinnest foldable smartphone currently available in the North American Market.
The Pixel Fold 2 could also have larger displays than rival foldables, at 6.29 inches on the outside and 8.02 inches on the inside.
Google Pixel Fold 2 performance
It’s been claimed that the Pixel Fold 2 could see some big performance gains. According to Android Authority the phone could skip over the Tensor G3 and launch with a Tensor G4 chipset. While Tensor chips are not known for their benchmarking prowess, there have been rumors that the G4 chip may be based on Samsung’s Exynos 2400 — the same chipset that powers the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus outside the United States.
While Exynos chips aren’t going to be beating the flagship Snapdragon chipsets employed by other Android flagships, it could offer the Pixel Fold 2 (and Pixel 9) a significant boost in computing power. Not to mention additional AI features that should exceed those of last year’s Pixel 8 series.
But how effective that computing power is may depend on when the Pixel Fold 2 launches. If it happens before the end of the year, it’ll be a major boost. If we have to wait until mid-to-late 2025 then it won’t come across as quite so impressive.
It’s also been suggested that the Pixel Fold 2 could offer an increased 16GB of RAM, 4GB more than the Pixel Fold, and upgrade the storage to UFS 4.0 — which offers faster read/write speeds and improved power efficiency.
Google Pixel Fold 2 cameras
Design leaks seem to show off a possible Pixel Fold 2 with a fourth camera lens, though the quality isn’t particularly good. What we can see, however, is that there only seems to be a single lens with the distinct square-shape of a telephoto lens. So the odds of the Pixel Fold 2 getting a second telephoto camera, akin to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, look pretty slim based on this image alone.
We don’t know what sort of changes the Pixel Fold 2 will offer compared to its predecessor — which came with a 48MP main lens, a 10.8MP ultrawide and a 10.8MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. A boost in resolution to the latter two would be welcome, as would other changes like a larger camera sensor or extended telephoto magnification.
No matter what happens,we can expect Google to go all in on AI camera enhancements. Both in terms of producing better pictures from the get go, and offering more powerful editing tools after the shot has been taken.
Google Pixel Fold 2 battery and charging
It’s unclear what sort of battery we can expect from the Pixel Fold 2 right now. At the very least we’d expect something similar to the Pixel Fold’s 4,821 mAh battery, which lasted for 10 hours and 21 minutes in our battery testing. A endurance would be welcome, which come come through a more efficient chip if not a bigger battery pack.
We’d expect Qi wireless charging and a minimum of 30W wired charging to make a comeback as well — though it would be nice if the Pixel Fold 2 supported the new Qi2 wireless charging standard.
Google Pixel Fold 2 outlook
There’s still a lot of unknowns where the Google Pixel Fold 2 is concerned, including whether it becomes part of the Pixel 9 lineup in the fall. Regardless of the name and launch timing, Google is going to have to do a lot if it wants to stay relevant in the foldable phone market. Samsung has a lot of experience building foldables, while OnePlus has leveraged its relationship with Oppo to make the OnePlus Open the best foldable phone you can buy.
So whether Google opts for a fresh design, powerful AI features, improved hardware or a mixture of the above, the pressure is on. Let’s just hope the rumors we see over the coming weeks and months can keep us feeling optimistic about the Pixel Fold 2’s chances.
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