The Pixel Fold is expected in June, but you might not like the price

The long-awaited Google Pixel Fold is likely to be launched in June, and it's going to be expensive. That's according to a new report from news network CNBC, which reports that the price tag is going to be "upward of $1,700".

That confirms the worst-case pricing rumours we reported on recently, with some sites predicting a price tag of €1,700. A straight dollar-to-euro conversion makes the new price upwards of €1,500 before tax and other adjustments; in UK money it's about £1,365 before tax. 

That's a lot of money but the best folding phones it's competing with are hardly cheap either: the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is $1,799 / £1,649, although there are sometimes promotions to bring that price down.

So what do you get for your Google money?

Google Pixel Fold launch date and features

According to CNBC, Google plans to announce the Pixel Fold at this year's Google I/O event on 10 May. It will have the "most durable hinge on a foldable" and is a direct competitor to the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

CNBC has seen documents detailing a 5.8-inch outside screen, a 7.6-inch inside screen, water resistance and a similar weight to the Galaxy Z Fold 4: 10 ounces. The battery is bigger, though, with Google promising 24 hours of everyday use or 72 hours in low power mode.

Inside as expected there's the Tensor G2 from the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and the operating system is Android 13 without the manufacturer-specific customisations of rival devices. 

I'm excited to see the Google foldable phone in the metal, but I'm surprised it isn't cheaper: Google is hardly short of cash and I was expecting them to price the Pixel Fold very aggressively to steal market share from Samsung. It'll be interesting to see if that higher than expected price puts off would-be buyers. We'll find out soon enough.