Google has already confirmed that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are on the way. The company even shared their images, and some information not long ago. What Google did not confirm is its first foldable smartphone. Multiple reports suggested that such a device is coming, and it may be called the Pixel Fold. That name hasn’t been confirmed in any way, shape or form, but we’ll refer to it by that name until some more concrete info appears.
The Google Pixel Fold reference surfaces in Android 12 code
In any case, a reference to Google’s first foldable smartphone appeared in Android 12. A well-known Google camera modder, cstark27, spotted a reference to a “Passport” device in the code. “Passport” has been spotted before as well, and that codename is allegedly reserved for Google’s foldable. The modder also spotted some references to the Samsung Exynos (“shannon”) modem, which suggests the Pixel 6 may include the same modem as the Pixel 6 series. In other words, that probably means the device will include the same SoC as those two phones. In other words, Google’s very own “Tensor” processor may be included in the package. That makes all the sense in the world.
Google’s first foldable is expected to arrive by the end of 2021
Several reports suggested that the Pixel Fold will arrive before the end of the year. Some even suggested it may launch alongside the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. That is still possible, though we can’t confirm anything just yet. It will be interesting what Google managed to put together. Samsung already released several generations of its foldable smartphones, and it managed to improve those devices along the way, quite a bit. First-gen products, especially when it comes to new form factors, are not exactly stellar… most of the time, anyway. Can Google surprise us all and introduce a truly great foldable smartphone? We’ll have to wait and see.
