Google Pixel Fold: Price, Release Date, Specs, Battery & More

Google officially announced the Google Pixel Fold this morning as part of its yearly I/O developers conference. Not only that, but Google has also lifted the lid on a range of new Pixel mobile gadgets, including an Android tablet that doubles as a smart display when docked.

The company’s first flagship foldable phone will arrive in June 2023, and we’ve included everything you need to know about the long-rumoured phone below. But first, as expected, Google will also release the Pixel 7a which launches in Australia today for $749.

Google Pixel Fold Is Not Launching In Australia… Yet

Here’s the bad news. As of this morning’s announcement, the Google Pixel Fold won’t be launching in Australia. In fact, there has been no set release window for us Aussies. That doesn’t mean it isn’t coming, of course. There’s just no way Google would completely skip Australia when it comes to a big launch like this.

Instead, the Google Pixel Fold will first be in the UK, US, Germany and Japan in June 2023. Australia will follow, we just don’t know when.

What we do know, however, is that we’ll definitely be getting the Google Pixel Tablet, which I alluded to above. We also just got the Google Pixel 7a.

RELATED: Gmail’s New AI Feature Will Write Your Emails

Google Pixel Fold Specs, Features & Dimensions

Here’s everything you should know about the Google Pixel Fold, including the confirmed specs and dimensions.

In the US, Google is currently enticing users to make the switch to its first foldable by offering a complimentary Google Pixel Watch with pre-orders. It is assumed there will be a similar offer for other international markets, including Australia when Google decides to launch the Pixel Fold locally.

In terms of slim design, Google slightly beats out the Samsung Z Fold 4. When closed, the Pixel Fold is 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 inches compared to the Z Fold 4’s (closed) dimensions of 6.1 x 2.6 x 0.55 inches. Samsung will likely best this number with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5 but for now it’s an impressive effort from Google’s design team.

Google is promising the most durable hinge available on a foldable. The 180-degree fluid friction hinge has been designed to improve dust resistance and is currently rated for up to 200,000 folds as the phone switches. This will make it easier to position the phone in tabletop mode which automatically splits the screen so that you’ve got content on the top half and controls on the bottom half.

Google has obviously put a lot into the phone’s displays. The 5.8-inch OLED cover display uses a 17:4:9 aspect ratio which should be much more satisfying and wider to watch than some of the other foldable phones on the market right now. You’ve also got a 120 Hz refresh rate on both displays, with the cover having an always-on function with a peak brightness rating of 1,550 nits.

Open up and you’ll get a 7.6-inch display with a resolution of 2208 x 1840 pixels with 1,450 nits peak brightness.

Google Pixel Fold Cameras

The triple camera system on the back is, on paper, one of the most powerful setups for a foldable to date. This is headlined by a 48 MP shooter, complemented by a 10.8 MP ultrawide camera and a 10.8 MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom and a 20x Super Res Zoom.

On the front, the Google Pixel Fold has a 9.5 MP shooter for selfies and an 8 MP inner camera for both selfies and video calls.

Then you’ve got the aforementioned tabletop mode, acting as the halfway point between having the phone fully splayed out and completely folded up. Because of how strong the hinge is, the tabletop mode should be firm when positioned on a table or shelf.

Given Google has found success with its Magic Eraser feature you can bet that’ll be included in the camera software, allowing you to edit unwanted objects out of photos quickly and seamlessly.

Google Pixel Fold Software & Performance

The Google Pixel Fold will be Android 13 out of the box and has been primed for Android 14, which will be released later this year. The latter operating system will apparently launch with a live translation feature that makes use of both the front and rear displays of the Google Pixel Fold at the same time as you speak.

As far as performance, Google has used the same Tensor G2 chip as the widely praised Pixel 7 series. This should translate to a very smooth, efficient performance across all three formats of the Google Pixel Fold. This is complemented by 12 GB RAM and either 256 GB or 512 GB storage.

A massive 4,747 mAH battery hasn’t been rated yet but given Google’s efficient software we imagine you’ll easily get a full 24 hours of use (and then some) out of the Google Pixel Fold. You’ll also get 30W wired charging and support for Qi wireless charging.

Google Pixel Fold Discussion

2023 is shaping up very nicely for Google. The Google Pixel Tablet will be an interesting addition to the lineup and the company deserves to be a bit boastful with the excellent Google Pixel 7 Pro. The Google Pixel 7a will undoubtedly be well-received, given Google’s routine “budget” pixels always seem to perfectly balance those high-end features with an affordable price point.

The Google Pixel Fold will, however, be the company’s most important phone to date. The Pixel series’ relevance in the market depends on this flagship being a success, especially given the Samsung Z Fold 5 is rumoured to arrive in July or August of this year. And it’s always possible that Apple could drop its long-rumoured foldable phone on us sometime later this year. The market is no doubt heating up and it’s looking crucial for Google to corner some of that before its competitors come out swinging.

That is why it’s such a strange choice to stagger the global release of the Google Pixel Fold. I’m not quite sure about the company’s reasoning behind the move but I would have at least thought that the Australian market was strong enough to include the country in the initial launch window. Of course, Aussies will be seeing the Google Pixel Fold sometime later this year. Just whether or not it is June or a few months later remains to be seen.

We’ll keep updated on the Google Pixel Fold release date and price in Australia but for now, use the above as a guide on what to expect from Google’s first high-end foldable smartphone.