Google gives early look at Pixel fold phone before debut next week

ALPHABET’S Google gave a surprise early look at a foldable Pixel smartphone, heralding its move into a category currently dominated by Samsung Electronics.

The company posted a video and photos of the device, called the Pixel Fold, showing a phone with a large external display and an even bigger internal screen that can close up like a clamshell.

The company said on its website that it would provide more information on the device at its I/O conference on May 10. The event is also expected to include details on a cheaper version of the Pixel 7 phone and a tablet that Google originally previewed last year.

The move signals that Google is getting more serious about competing with Samsung and Apple in smartphones, an area where it’s struggled to gain a significant foothold. Though Google’s Android operating system is widespread, the company is dwarfed by other manufacturers in its sales of hardware.

Foldables account for only 1 per cent of smartphone shipments, according to Strategy Analytics and IDC data, but they contribute a larger share of revenue because they fetch higher prices. IDC estimates that shipments will more than triple from 2022 to roughly 50 million units annually, by 2027. That would still be less than 4 per cent of the market but would account for a US$42 billion segment. BLOOMBERG