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Google Pixel Fold video leak shows the unreleased phone in real life

Published Apr 24th, 2023 8:26AM EDT
Google Pixel 7 Front
Image: Christian de Looper for BGR

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The Google Pixel Fold is coming at I/O 2023. That much seems certain. We saw a large number of leaks in the past few weeks detailing Google’s first foldable. We think we know the phone’s specs and features, and the Pixel Fold’s price and release date have already leaked. What we didn’t have until this weekend was an actual hands-on video experience with the Pixel Fold that would give us a look at Google’s foldable handset design.

The Pixel Fold’s design leaked months ago. We already know what to expect, especially given the recent round of specs leaks that revealed everything about the foldable. And a leak a few weeks ago gave us a blurry look at what seemed to be a Pixel Fold prototype being used in the wild.

But the video that Kuba Wojciechowski posted on Twitter gives us our first up-close look at the Google Pixel Fold. 

We have six minutes of footage, with the contents of the foldable display being blurred. But that’s enough to learn a few big details about the Pixel Fold’s design. 

First, the Pixel Fold’s foldable display has massive top and bottom bezels. Like, massive. But maybe that’s for the best when it comes to foldable devices. The bigger bezels might protect the screen when you fold the phone, as 9to5Google argues.

Also, a larger top display lets Google employ a regular, no-compromise internal selfie camera. Samsung is going for under-display cameras for the Galaxy Z Fold phones, and those cameras aren’t quite where we’d want them.

Put differently, seeing larger bezels on an internal foldable screen isn’t a turn-off for me. I did say that the Apple iPad mini 6 gives us a taste of what a foldable iPhone would look like. And the mini does have large bezels. That said, large bezels remain a problem for traditional smartphones.

Another important design detail concerns the external display, which appears to have a great aspect ratio. We’re looking at a punch-hole screen that should be more comfortable than the Galaxy Z Fold. 

Finally, the foldable screen will apparently close perfectly, like other foldables designs. There’s no gap like on Samsung’s Z Fold. 

As with any other Pixel leaks, there’s a possibility the device in this hands-on video is fake. But Pixel rumors usually come true. Google should unveil the Pixel Fold in a few weeks, at which point we’ll get proper hands-on videos that will probably confirm this leak. 

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.