Google’s long-in-development foldable phone, the Pixel Fold, is reportedly eyeing a late-June launch. A recent leak predicted that the Pixel Fold will hit European shelves with a price tag of €1,700, which equates to roughly $1,800 based on current conversion rates. That’s not an easy thing to swallow, especially for a first-generation foldable phone and considering Google’s rocky history with its Pixel hardware and software.
But it seems that the price of the Pixel Fold will not be inexplicably exorbitant. Yogesh Bear leaker shared on Twitter that the foldable phone could actually cost between $1,300 and $1,500. Assuming that’s true, the Pixel Fold could undercut the Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 and its successor for $500.
In fact, that asking price would put the Pixel Fold in roughly the same ballpark as the higher storage configurations of phones like Apple’s Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Of course, Google won’t be able to match the selling price of Chinese brands’ foldables, but it would at least look competitive in Western markets.
Now a price of around $1300-1500 makes a lot of sense. First, the biggest deterrent for foldable phones is their high asking price. There’s a reason Samsung managed to sell a large number of its foldable flip phones because they cost almost half as much as the Galaxy Z Fold series phone/tablet hybrids.
A price that makes practical sense
Pushing the Pixel Fold into roughly the same price range as a no-compromise mainstream flagship phone would give Google’s phone a reasonable edge with its foldable appeal. Also, it’s worth considering that the Pixel Fold doesn’t offer anything unique or industry-first with its hardware that might command a more attractive price point than Samsung’s.
From the leaked renders we’ve seen so far, the Pixel Fold looks a lot like your average. Pixel 7 series phone with a folding screen sandwiched between the two halves. Then there are the leaked specs, which aren’t really groundbreaking either.
Rumors suggest that the Pixel Fold would be based on the 2nd generation Tensor chip, just like the Pixel 7 duo. Unfortunately, this particular chip will be obsolete in a few months as the 3rd generation Tensor chip based on the process of 3nm manufacturing will hit shelves with the Pixel 8 series phones later this year.
There’s nothing extraordinary going on in the camera department, either. The triple camera setup reportedly includes a 64-megapixel main snapper, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens. The battery capacity is reportedly 5,000mAh, but don’t expect any ultra-fast charging technology to show up here.
At best, the Pixel Fold’s biggest selling point is that it’s a Google-made foldable, which means the software should be the most polished Android experience for that form factor. Pushing it to market with a relatively modest price tag of around $1,300-1,500 makes sense and would likely generate genuine enthusiasm for the phone that could turn into practical sales, something Google needs.
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