Google's rival to the best folding phones, the Pixel Fold, is expected to launch this year – and a new report says that Google's folding phone is going to be heavy metal. Literally.
According to 9to5Google's sources, the Pixel Fold is going to be the electronic equivalent of Rammstein, Gojira, Slipknot and Ghost combined. Admittedly they didn't say it in those exact words, but that's what I'm taking from the latest leaks: the Pixel Fold is going to be both heavy and metal.
How heavy is the Google Pixel Fold going to be?
None more heavy. Okay, I'll stop now. According to the site's sources, the Pixel Fold is going to be heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which in turn is heavier than the Oppo Find N2 and even the Pixel 7 Pro. Apparently weight-wise we should be thinking of the Pixel Fold as a small tablet rather than a big phone.
Part of that is for a good reason: it's getting a big battery. The report says that while some rivals make do with batteries of around 4,440 to 4,500mAh, the Pixel will have a battery that's much closer to the 5,000mAh mark.
It'll be interesting to see how that plays out in terms of stamina. The smaller batteries in folding phones do mean less stamina than their non-folding siblings, but any advantage Google's folding phone gains from its extra battery capacity may be cancelled out by the fact that it'll be using Google's own Tensor G2 system rather than the Snapdragons you find in rival devices.
The Tensor G2 promises 20% better energy efficiency than the first generation – but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 of last year's best Android phones claimed to be 30% more energy efficient than the Tensor, so it's not guaranteed that the bigger battery teamed with the second-generation Tensor means a longer lasting phone.
Then again, that might not matter. The Tensor has been specifically designed for the AI and machine learning on which Google's apps and services increasingly rely, and that could well be what differentiates the Pixel Fold from the rest of the flippers. We'll find out soon enough.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Groundbreaking 165Hz technology brings a refreshing change for artists and animators
XPPen’s Artist Pro 24 (Gen 2) series offers a world-first 165Hz drawing display for smoother creative experience
By T3.com Published
-
Apple promises “exciting announcements” next week
The coming week is going to be a big week for Apple
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Samsung reportedly planning foldables shake-up – its next phone could be a game-changer
Company has a lot more folding phones and possibly a folding tablet in the pipeline, it's claimed
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Google Pixel 9a tipped for a camera change you might find surprising
Details on the Google Pixel 9a camera might not be what you expect
By Chris Hall Published
-
Samsung has a crazy plan for its foldable display tech – laptops might never look the same again
This laptop patent would be unlike anything else on the market
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Google Search gets an unusual update that could prove controversial
Google is stripping away a potentially useful tool, one that it says few people use.
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Google’s Pixel Drop brings great free updates for your Pixel phone, new or old
Android 15 rolls out at last, and that means there's a neat Pixel Drop to go with it
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE could be the king of foldables for one good reason
And the other rumours are looking good too...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Android phones getting something iPhone owners outside Europe can only dream of
Court ruling ramifications becoming clear
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Google TV Streamer’s best feature is coming to your Chromecast
Chromecast with Google TV can now deliver Google's smart home controls
By Carrie Marshall Published