Google Unsurprisingly Working On A Pixel Fold Variant With A Clamshell Design To Take On Samsung’s Z Flip Series

Currently, the mass market has two types of foldable smartphone designs; a book-style like the recently launched Pixel Fold and a clamshell variant like Samsung’s Z Flip 4. While Google has announced the first version, a rumor doing the rounds claims that this is not the only member that will be a part of the company’s lineup.

New Pixel Fold with clamshell design could be significantly more affordable while carrying almost the same, or even better hardware

On Twitter, ‘itnyang’ has tweeted that Google’s internal department is discussing bringing a clamshell version of the Pixel Fold to the market. Whether it will be referred to as the Pixel Fold, Pixel Z Fold, or something else, we are unaware at this time. What we can talk about are its potential specifications, depending on when it launches. Given that the pricier $1,799 is available to pre-order, and we have barely heard about a clamshell design from the company, it is more than likely that we will not see this model until next year.

Google may outright refuse to launch the clamshell version of the Pixel Fold if it is displeased with its design or quality, so, assuming that this model launches in 2024, the Tensor G3 will most likely power it. The G3 is Google’s upcoming flagship SoC and is expected to be mass produced on Samsung’s improved 4nm process that is focused more on power efficiency. Aside from that, we should also expect fewer cameras to bring the cost down from $1,799, down to a more acceptable figure.

Developing Google Flip like Google Galaxy Flip

— itnyang (@hyacokr_itnyang) May 21, 2023

Also, given that Google will launch it a little later, adding a larger secondary screen to the overall package can improve the utility of the clamshell Pixel Fold. This panel could show all sorts of notifications without the user having to ‘unflip’ the handset all the time to view them. Given Google’s forte with Android, it should have no issues implementing such a feature as companies like OPPO Find N2 Flip have managed to incorporate a tiny display to showcase important notifications.

While this potential launch indicates that Google is ready to expand its smartphone lineup, no launch timeline is provided, meaning that if things do not progress, this clamshell Pixel Fold may not be announced. For now, we should treat this information with a pinch of salt and await future updates.

Written by Omar Sohail