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 first appearances. Once. 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 Topic (The original images are now gone, unfortunately, but we have copies of them), prompting muted speculation that they are either fakes or early prototypes. Thanks to an anonymous source inside Google, Robot body We can confirm that this is indeed our first look at the cancelled Pixel foldable phone codenamed “pipit” and its specs.

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 cancelled Pixel Fold has an eerily familiar look; the only feature that clearly distinguishes it from the final version is a (mostly) smooth glass band that runs across the entire width of the device, much like 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 the same, and even the matte back glass was already there (the carbon texture on the top of the device is just a layer added by the seller).

(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 a lot like the Pixel 7a with its upgraded cameras, the ‘pipit’ had a much older setup with the rather old Sony IMX363, which debuted on the Pixel 3 in 2018! The other sensors are similarly downgraded, and the telephoto lens is completely absent. I’ve put together a camera specs comparison below.

The outer display was different from the Pixel Fold, with the device having a slightly smaller display measuring 66 x 128mm compared to 67 x 130mm on the Pixel Fold. The resolution was also slightly different, measuring 1080 x 2100 pixels compared to 1080 x 2092.

The only thing that has surprisingly remained the same is the internal display – the panel has remained completely unchanged. But what’s interesting is that Google has developed a prototype version of the device with pen input support. Although it seems that the idea was eventually scrapped – the last prototype incorporating this concept was the “PIPIT EVT 1.0 Stylus”, while other versions of the device made it to the later DVT stage – it is still interesting that We see Google has been exploring something like this.

While the Pixel Fold that ended up on store shelves is an upgrade to the “pipit,” it seems somewhat gradual, which raises the question: What went wrong? Why wasn’t “pipit” 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 launched. The “Pipit” would have been announced at Google I/O 2022, alongside the canceled Pixel tablet, the first-gen Tensor (codenamed “tangor”; the one that ended up shipping was the “tangorpro”) and the Pixel 6a. This would also have made it one of the first devices to run Google’s big-screen-optimized version of Android — 12L. It really couldn’t have been a better fit, so why didn’t it happen?

The Pixel 6 series launch was a mess. A big part of that was the flawed Android 12 release. While Android 12L fixed some things, it wasn’t even close to stable. Not only that, but a lot of features were delayed, making 12L less than it was supposed to be.

Google likely decided to push both its tablet and foldable a year ago to make sure the software was ready and tweak the hardware where necessary. What ended up shipping wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was likely better than what we would have seen had Google gone ahead with the “sucker.”

Even after its cancellation, the “pipit” was a success: Our sources tell us that several Google employees used prototype units as daily devices, and it’s clear that the first-generation Pixel Fold was built on the hardware and software created for the canceled prototype. Hopefully, the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold will continue this generational improvement.