Google Just Unveiled Its New Phone — and It Might Take You Back to the '90s Its the company's first model of its kind — beating Apple to the finish line.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
With its product launch only a few days away, Google revealed a sneak peek of its first-ever foldable smartphone.
That's right: In a video posted to YouTube and Twitter, the company showed off the Pixel Fold phone with a vertical hinge that can be opened into a tablet-like format, CNN Business reported.
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Flip phones have been making a comeback in recent years. Samsung is already in the foldable phone game — it released two new fourth-generation flip models last year — and Apple's been rumored to be making one of its own, though that's never been confirmed, per CNET.
At Google's annual developer conference at its Mountain View, California headquarters next week, the company is also expected to present a Pixel 7a budget phone, its newest Android operating system and developments to its AI-powered Bard chatbot.
The Pixel Fold is expected to start at $1,700, though that— (and the phone's specs) — have yet to be confirmed either.
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Overall, foldable devices account for just 1% of smartphone shipments, but their high price points mean major revenue: Though they're anticipated to make up just 4% of the market by 2027, that could amount to a $42 billion segment, according to Strategy Analytics and IDC data reported by Bloomberg.
