Google’s flagship Pixel foldable phone set to launch in 2022

Google Foldable
Representational image
By Arya M Nair, Official Reporter
  • Follow author on

Google, the tech giant’s first foldable Pixel phone is set to arrive in 2022, and it will not use the same high-end camera sensors found in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, according to reports.

This indicates that the Pixel Fold will have the same 12.2 megapixel (MP) primary camera that Google has used since the Pixel 3 smartphone in 2018. A 50 MP rear camera was added to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Pixel Fold will have a pair of 12 MP ultra-wide sensors and an 8 MP selfie camera, both borrowed from the Pixel 6.

Google had to compensate for the physical upsize on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which resulted in the now-iconic camera bar or “visor” that extends a few millimeters from the phone. When it comes to foldable, however, every millimeter counts, as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is almost half an inch thick when folded.

The foldable Pixel has two 8-megapixel sensors, one for the “inner” and the other for the “outer.” When folded or unfolded, the inclusion of two identical cameras will help ensure that the foldable Pixel takes the same quality selfies, with one selfie shooter on the external display and the other on the inside display, similar to the Galaxy Fold’s setup.

Google might add more cameras to the Pixel Fold depending on its design, but the company appears to prefer a “less is more” approach, focusing instead on offering the finest post-processing software for producing better photos.

Google’s decision to launch its Pixel Fold next year lines up with the company’s Q2 2022 launch of the recently announced Android 12L, a restructuring of the Android 12 mobile operating system (OS) that’s been designed to work with larger screens in foldable devices and tablets.

Related: Google-parent Alphabet’s profit surges to $18.9bn