This is the canceled Pixel Fold that wasn’t good enough for Google

The Google Pixel Fold was launched relatively late compared to the first generation of foldable devices from other manufacturers. By the time it was finally released in mid-2023, Samsung had just launched the fifth iteration of its foldable phone style (and debuted a second look with the more popular Galaxy Z Flip series), and several other companies had also made their debut. . This situation could have been vastly different, though, as Google had another prototype ready a year before the original Pixel Fold, but decided to scrap it because it wasn’t “good enough,” the head of hardware product design revealed. In Google. Ivy Ross, in 2023 An episode of the Made by Google podcast.

While the existence of this canceled smartphone is a well-known fact, we never saw it in photos or learned about the full specifications, but that is changing today. Images of what appears to be a mysterious Pixel Fold-like device have quietly emerged for the first time XDA forum thread (The original photos are now gone, unfortunately, but we have copies of them), prompting muted speculation that it was either a fake or an early prototype. Thanks to an anonymous source inside Google, Android Authority We can confirm that this is indeed our first look at the foldable Pixel codenamed ‘pipit’ and its specifications.

Before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that the two devices codenamed “pipit” and “passport,” which were rumored to be canceled foldable Pixel devices, are actually the same device. Although they were two different projects at one point, they eventually merged into one device that he continues to call “pipit.”

The canceled Pixel Fold has an eerily familiar look; The only feature that clearly sets it apart from the final version is a (mostly) smooth glass strip that runs across the entire width of the device, very similar to the Pixel 6. The released Pixel Fold has a smaller camera island made of brushed metal, matching the look of the Pixel 7 Pro.

Other than that, the form factor hasn’t changed much. The unusual aspect ratio is still the same, the frame and hinge look almost identical, and even the matte glass back is already there (the carbon-fiber texture on the top of the device is just an overlay added by the vendor).

(We apologize for the quality of the image below. This is the best we could salvage from the deleted images in the thread.)

Unfortunately, the unit being discussed in the thread has a broken internal display, so we can’t compare it to the first-generation Pixel Fold. However, it is fair to assume that they look similar, if not identical.

Unremarkable specifications

If the “pipit” is released, it will be a few months after the Pixel 6 series, so its specifications are clearly a generation behind compared to the first generation Pixel Fold, which was based on the basic configuration of the Pixel 7. Instead of the Tensor G2 with an Exynos 5300 modem, it came The device was equipped with a first generation Tensor and Exynos Modem 5123, which was notable for the number of issues it encountered.

Likewise, the device had an older camera setup. While the first generation Pixel Fold looked very similar to the Pixel 7a with its updated cameras, the ‘pipit’ had a much older setup with the rather old Sony IMX363, which first appeared on the Pixel 3 in 2018! The other sensors are similarly downgraded, and the telephoto lens is completely absent. I’ve put together a comparison of camera specifications below.

The external display was different from the Pixel Fold, as the device had a slightly smaller display measuring 66 x 128mm compared to the 67 x 130mm on the Pixel Fold. The resolution also differed slightly at 1080 x 2100 pixels compared to 1080 x 2092.

But one thing that surprisingly remained the same was the internal display, where the panel remained completely unchanged. But what’s interesting is that Google has developed a prototype of the device with pen input support. While the idea appears to have been eventually scrapped – the last prototype to incorporate the concept was the PIPIT EVT 1.0 Stylus – while other versions of the device have made it to the later DVT stage, it’s still interesting to see that Google was You explore something like this.

While the Pixel Fold that’s ended up on store shelves is an upgrade over the “pipit,” it seems rather incremental, which raises a question: What went wrong? Why wasn’t the “pipette” good enough?

Of course, this is just speculation, but we can make a good guess by looking at the broader context in which it could have been released. “Pipit” would have been announced at Google I/O 2022, alongside the canceled Pixel tablet with the first generation Tensor (codenamed “tangor”; the device that ended up shipping was “tangorpro”). And Pixel 6a. This would also have made it one of the first devices to run Google’s big-screen-optimized version of Android – the 12L. It really couldn’t have been a better fit, so why wouldn’t it?

The launch of the Pixel 6 series was chaotic. A big part of that was the buggy version of Android 12. While Android 12L fixed some things, it was nowhere near stable. Not only that, but a lot of features were also delayed, making the 12L less than it was supposed to be.

It is likely that Google decided to postpone the launch of both the tablet and the foldable device until next year to ensure the readiness of the software and modify the hardware when necessary. What ended up shipping was by no means perfect, but it was probably better than what we would have seen if Google had gone ahead with the “pipit.”

Until it was cancelled, the “pipit” was kind of a success: Our sources tell us that a lot of Google employees used the prototype units as their everyday devices, and the first-generation Pixel Fold certainly built on the hardware and software created for the canceled prototype. Hopefully the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold will continue this generational improvement.