Foldable phones have been around for a few years now with brands like Samsung and Moto leading the way. Given that the tech is still new and relatively complex, foldable phones have been accompanied by a hefty price tag. Last month, that's exactly what Samsung tried to address with the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. While they're still not cheap, Samsung has tried to democratize foldables and reach the masses, especially with the $999 Galaxy Z Flip 3. With foldables becoming more popular, more brands will now jump onto the bandwagon, Google possibly being one of them.

Pixel foldable

Reports indicate that along with the Pixel 6 series that's expected to launch soon, Google is also working on a foldable Pixel that will supposedly launch later this year. Renowned tipster @evleaks mentioned that the Pixel Fold, codenamed Passport, is expected to launch before the end of the year. He says that Google has been working on this device for the past two years. David Naranjo, Senior Director at Display Supply Chain Consultants also mentioned the Pixel Fold in a list of devices that are rumored to use LTPO OLED panels with a variable refresh rate indicating that a folding Pixel might actually be in the works and might launch sooner than you'd expected.

These rumors are also supported by the fact that the upcoming Android 12.1 update brings several improvements and enhancements to the foldable phone experience. This includes a hidden taskbar feature in the Pixel Launcher that will help you quickly navigate between your apps, similar to what we saw on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. There are some descriptions of a split-screen view that can be achieved by dragging and dropping apps from the taskbar, further indicating the usage of the feature on a large display like a foldable.

Apart from these, there are several other indicators pointing towards an alleged foldable Pixel, probably called the Pixel Fold? It's surprising that we haven't seen any leaks about the Pixel Fold especially considering that it's been under development for the past two years according to the rumor. With Google giving out a lot of information about the Pixel 6 series prior to the launch, is the foldable Pixel going to be the surprise element during the launch later this year? Guess we'll find out shortly.