Google has rescinded its plans for competing with the Galaxy Z Fold3 and other popular folding phones. That’s according to supply chain sources with the DSCC, which can confirm that the Pixel Fold will not be coming to market this year, nor during the first half of 2022 as some rumors had suggested. The device would have leveraged a new feature set of Android 12 called 12L that optimizes the OS for larger screens.
From DSCC:
Our sources indicated that Google believed the product wouldn’t be as competitive as it needed to be. They likely figured that competing against Samsung in the US and Europe in a small niche market facing higher costs than their primary competitor, would stack the odds against this project. […]
In terms of hardware, the Pixel Fold was expected to be the same size as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 with LTPO and variable refresh up to 120Hz. Unlike the Z Fold 3, it was not expected to have color on encapsulation nor an under panel camera. In addition, there were rumors that the cameras were not going to be state-of-the-art. […]
Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones with custom Tensor chip are now available at a starting price of $599 and $899, respectively. They may be joined by a cheaper and less powerful Pixel 6a model next year.
Source: DSCC