Leaked Google Documents Suggest Foldable Pixel Phone in the WorksGoogle plans to release a foldable Pixel phone in the fourth quarter of next year, according to leaked internal documents (via
9to5Google). Codenamed "Passport," the device is explicitly referred to as "foldable," and appears alongside a list of past and future Pixel devices.
<center>
MacRumors concept</center>
Google
confirmed last year that it is developing technology that could be used in foldable devices, although the company played down the prospect of actually launching a foldable any time soon, saying it didn't see "a clear use case yet." Today's leak suggests one is indeed in the works for a possible 2021 release.
Samsung was first to launch a consumer foldable device, but the Galaxy Fold suffered from
major issues that impacted the durability and performance of the device. The tablet-sized device was unveiled in early 2019, but its launch was delayed until September while Samsung fixed the problems. Samsung has since launched the
Galaxy Z Flip, a smartphone-sized device that folds in half and can be tucked into a pocket, but it has
durability issues, too.
The launch of Huawei's first foldable, the Mate X, was also
delayed last year before arriving in September. The Chinese smartphone maker said it was being more "cautious" that it had a quality device, after witnessing Samsung's troubles.
It is unclear if Apple will ever release a folding mobile device, but there is one rumor that it's working on a
foldable iPhone prototype that features two separate display panels that are connected by a hinge rather than a single display like the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
Whether or not such a device materializes, Apple has certainly explored the idea of foldable devices for years, as various
patents show. Recently the company has been
investigating ways to circumvent the issue of foldable displays creasing and cracking at the fold over time – a problem that has plagued many of the consumer foldable devices that have made it to market so far.<div class="linkback">Tags:
Google,
Google Pixel,
Foldable iPhone</div>
This article, "
Leaked Google Documents Suggest Foldable Pixel Phone in the Works" first appeared on
MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
<div class="feedflare">
<img src="[url]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MacRumors-Front?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img>[/url]
<img src="[url]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MacRumors-Front?d=6W8y8wAjSf4" border="0"></img>[/url]
<img src="[url]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MacRumors-Front?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img>[/url]
</div><img src="
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MacRumors-Front/~4/az-wfX75Gsw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>
Source:
Leaked Google Documents Suggest Foldable Pixel Phone in the Works
