() — Google on Wednesday unveiled its latest lineup of hardware products, including its first foldable phone, as well as plans to implement new artificial intelligence features in its search engine and productivity tools.
The updates, announced at its annual Google I/O developer conference, come as the company tries to go beyond its core business of advertising with new devices while also competing to defend its search engine from the threat which represents a wave of new tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
During its 90-minute presentation, Google unveiled a new foldable smartphone. And like others, the $1,799 Pixel Fold features a vertical hinge that can be flipped open to reveal a tablet-like display. But Google calls the Fold the slimmest foldable on the market.
“Smart engineering was required to redesign components like our speakers, battery, and haptics,” George Hwang, a product manager at Google, said on a call ahead of the announcement. The company packed a Pixel phone into a body that’s less than 6mm, about two-thirds the thickness of its other Pixel phones.
The Google Pixel Fold is the company’s first foray into foldable phones. Google
When the Pixel Fold is unfolded, it opens to a 7.6-inch screen and swings on Google’s custom-built 180-degree hinge. That hinge mechanism is completely pulled out from under the screen to improve its resistance to dust and decrease the overall thickness of the device, according to the company.
Google Fold includes features you’d find on a Pixel, such as long exposure, blur, magic eraser, which allows users to remove unwanted or distracting objects. It also has Pixel Fold-specific tools like Dual Screen Live Translation, which allows the user to communicate in another language with the help of quick audio and text translations on the outer screen.
Google #PixelFold has new ways to use a Pixel that hinge on, well, a *hinge* ?
– Take stunning group selfies in tabletop mode
– Multitask with the power of dual screens
– Connect better with Dual Screen Interpreter Mode for live translation¹
All coming soon… #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/pYVstkU5ZX—Google (@Google) May 10, 2023
Google said it optimized its top apps to take advantage of the larger screen, but “there’s still work to be done” because “optimizing for a new foldable form factor takes time,” Hwang said. “It’s a process we’re committed to, and it requires significant investment with our Android developer partners,” Hwang added.
Google is far from an early adopter of foldables, but it may have waited to release its own version until the technology had become more advanced. Early versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, for example, had screen issues and most apps weren’t well-optimized for the layout.
But even now, the future of foldables remains uncertain. Most apps are not yet optimized for foldable devices; prices are still very high; and Google’s main rival Apple has yet to adopt the option.
Despite strong consumer interest in foldable phones — and a resurgence of ’90s-style foldable phones among celebrities and TikTok influencers — the market is relatively small, with Samsung dominating the category, followed by others like Motorola, Lenovo, Oppo and Huawei. According to ABI Research, foldable and flexible displays made up about 0.7% of the smartphone market in 2021, and in 2022 it is expected to fall just below 2%.
Pixel Fold will be available in the US, UK, Germany and Japan. The company said the device will start shipping next month.
A look at Google’s Pixel 7a lineup. Google
During Google I/O, the company also introduced the Pixel 7a which on the surface looks similar to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, with the same pixel camera bar on the back. However, it does come with the typical improvements you’d expect to find with any smartphone upgrade: better display, advanced camera, and longer battery life. But the 7a now features a Tensor G2 processor and a TItan M2 security chip, bringing advanced processing and new AI features. It also offers wireless charging for the first time on a model A.
The Pixel 7a comes in several colors, including charcoal, porcelain, hazel, and pink, and starts at $499. It’s available through the Google Store starting May 10.
And while phones were a key focus at the event, Google also updated other parts of its hardware lineup and introduced the Pixel tabletwhich is designed to be used around the house, from turning off the lights in the house to setting the thermostat without leaving the couch.
