Something to look forward to: Google put the rumors to rest this week with an official teaser of its next Pixel phone. The Google Pixel Fold broke cover in a short YouTube clip that has already amassed nearly 130,000 views. The preview shows off the folio-style handset from a couple of different angles as well as fully unfurled. Interested parties can sign up over on Google's landing page to receive update about new devices including the Pixel Fold.
Foldables have gotten off to a slow start, at least in the US. They were billed as the next big thing in smartphone technology but early roadblocks including questionable durability, practicality concerns, and high price tags have mostly kept all but the earliest of adopters at bay thus far.
Most foldables fit into one of two categories. Folio-style foldables like the Pixel Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold open horizontally like a book and transform the device into something more akin to a small tablet. Conversely, flip phones such as the Motorola Razr use a clam shell form factor that is more geared towards portability. When closed, they are typically about half the size of a modern smartphone and take up less space in your pocket. Which is preferred ultimately comes down to personal preference.
A third class of flexible display smartphone is the rollable. Lenovo showed off a concept based on this form factor late last year and also has a laptop in the works that uses the same general design. Both employ a mechanical apparatus to physically extend the height of the display for more screen real estate.
Which flexible form factor are you more in favor of? Clam shells afford a certain level of satisfaction and have a bit of nostalgia attached but if I had to choose, I would probably go with a folio simply for the amount of screen space it offers when unfolded.
Google promises to share more details on the Pixel Fold during its I/O 2023 keynote on May 10.