Consumer hardware is not always a foregone conclusion for I/O. In fact, after the latest pandemic events, nothing feels like a foregone conclusion these days. However, after what felt like a down year for consumer electronics, we have high hopes for developer shows like I/O and WWDC.
Google’s budget Pixel 7a has seemed like a hit for some time now, while the long-threatened Pixel tablet seemed like a distinct possibility (at least at some point, if not a full launch). In recent weeks and months, a foldable phone has started to look more and more likely.
Some important background here. First, Google announced folding screen stand for Android in 2018. Obviously, Samsung was both the big partner and the recipient in those days, and Google wanted to make Android development as seamless as possible for other OEMs by exploring the form factor.
The following year, Google foldable patents arose. Now, we’re all adults here, who implicitly understand that patents don’t mean that a company is working on a product. That said, it’s another key data point in this story. In the intervening years, foldables have started to pick up steam, even outside of Samsung’s orbit. I was really surprised by how many different models were lining the halls at MWC in March.
Google, of course, went through its own hardware transformation a couple of years ago. After years of struggle and a few identity crises, the company got serious about building a flagship with the Pixel 6, right down to its own silicon. The Pixel saw significant market share growth, but it’s still a single-digit drop in the bucket of the overall North American smartphone market.
TO new wave of rumors it shows a book-style foldout book that is rumored to be on the I/O calendar in about three weeks. The form factor has been compared to Oppo’s recent foldable, in contrast to the narrower Samsung Fold variety. It’s also reminiscent of Microsoft’s old Duo, though that system opted for split-screen rather than foldable. Word on the street is that Google is considering the name “Pixel Notepad.” Maybe it’s just the Galaxy Notes years, but that screams “stylus” to me.
Another rumor puts the price around $1400, expensive by any reasonable measure, but right in the middle of the Galaxy Flip ($999) and Fold ($1800). Other rumors put the price much closer to the galaxy folds.