Google today took the wraps off its new Pixel Fold smartphone (again). This is Google’s first foldable smartphone and it goes up against rival foldable from Samsung. Google says this is its thinnest phone yet and foldable on the market.
The Pixel Fold’s pricing is a hefty $1,799 USD ($2,408 CAD roughly) and it launches in the U.S., the UK, Germany and Japan. As you can see, Canada won’t be getting the Pixel Fold, which comes in two colours and has a 48MP rear camera with wide-angle.
The foldable smartphone has an innovative tabletop mode that makes for easy selfies and Google says they spent a lot of time engineering its durable 180-degree hinge. The hinge is the most durable foldable says Google. It has Gorilla Glass Victus for its displays.
The tabletop mode also supports controls with hand gestures, which is pretty cool. The mode also supports dual-screen interpreter mode, leveraging both displays for live translations to you and the person you’re talking to.
There are over 50 Google apps optimized for the larger 7.6-inch screen, while app partners such as Disney+ and Netflix have their apps ready for the new display.
When you’re watching a video on the smaller front screen, once you open up the Pixel Fold, your video automatically moves to the larger display, part of a continuity feature, as shown in a demo at Google I/O.
A cool live demo of a new AI-generative reply feature on Pixel Fold. Really cool stuff.
Get more done with #PixelFold 🏃
👆 Swipe up to access new taskbar
💬 Drag and drop between apps in split-screen mode¹
🪟 Keep multitasking windows paired and adjust split-screen to suit content
🖥️ Dual-monitor setup in your hand#GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/TydgjX0p5t— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) May 10, 2023
Why did Google skip Canada for the Pixel Fold? At a media briefing attended by iPhone in Canada earlier this month, Google said they “made the tough decision” to focus on a “select few markets”. Where’s the love for lumberjacks, beavers and maple syrup, Google?
But let’s be honest, Canada at the end of the day is a small market population-wise compared to the first launch markets for the Pixel Fold. How to buy a Pixel Fold? You might have to grab one in the U.S. or elsewhere and bring it back to use in Canada. But with foreign exchange rates, it will likely cost you.
Google with give a free Pixel Watch with any Pixel Fold pre-order.
Are you disappointed the Pixel Fold launch has skipped Canada? The phone is available for pre-order today and ships next month.
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To be honest, it looks far too wide, both folded and unfolded. It’s absurdly wide even folded and thus hard to fit in your pocket. Then unfolded it’s almost square which is not that beneficial in terms of use.
Also note they didn’t say it was durable. They said “most durable foldable”. That’s like saying “least salty ocean”. All my friends’ foldables are creased to oblivion after less than a year of use and look like hell. The tech just isn’t there yet unfortunately. People are essentially paying $2400+ to be beta testers. To each their own though.
Nope. Not interested so not disappointed.