Skip to main content

Google’s Pixel Notepad may be the long-rumored Pixel Fold

Google’s mysterious foldable phone, long expected to be called the Pixel Fold, could be tagged with a new, uninspired name. According to a 9to5Google report, the rumored device may actually carry the far more boring moniker of Pixel Notepad, and it might actually be cheaper than what Samsung’s Fold 3 will drain from your wallet. Yes, it’s accurate for a foldable phone-tablet hybrid that essentially doubles as a digital notebook, but pondering over a creative name doesn’t hurt.

Google was reportedly considering the name “Logbook” at one point, and simply put, that’s also bland and seems straight out of an ’80s commercial for a leather-bound diary targeted at Wall Street investors in pinstriped suits. The alleged Google foldable has lately popped up in the code of Android updates under the code name “Pipit.” System animations discovered in the code of Android 12L beta revealed the design assets of a rather stout foldable phone that resembles the Oppo Find N.

Related Videos
Google Pixel Fold concept image.
Google Pixel Fold concept image. WaqarKahnTech

More importantly, the 9to5Google report cites an anonymous reliable source and claims that the Google Pixel Notepad will carry a price tag lower than $1,799. Now, $1,799 is a very specific number for an unconfirmed phone’s asking price, but that puts it in line with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3, lending more credence to the rumors.

It would be odd to see Google price the Pixel Notepad lower than $1,799 because that sounds a little too aggressive for a first-generation foldable phone, but it looks like Google is aiming to replicate the same formula as the $599 price tag for the excellent Pixel 6. By contrast, Samsung’s doomed first Fold touched the $2,000 range, making it too costly for most buyers, and it took the company three years of refinements and research to polish the foldable formula and bring the price down. It appears that Google has learned from these mistakes and will be banking heavily on Samsung’s expertise to make its first foldable phone, from fabricating the Tensor chip that uses Exynos processor as a rough template to buying its foldable OLED panel with the UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass) tech.

Previous rumors suggest that the Pixel-branded foldable will come armed with the Tensor chip, but the camera hardware will be a downgrade compared to the Pixel 6 Pro. However, Google has yet to say an official word about its foldable plans, so take all these rumors and findings with a helping of skepticism. And even if the product is really being tested secretly at Google’s hardware labs, the plans — especially that poor Pixel Notepad name — might still change down the road.

Editors' Recommendations

Google Pixel Fold: release date and price rumors, leaked specs, and more
Alleged schematic of Google's Pixel foldable in silver.

Folding smartphones are a staple of the Android smartphone world in 2023. And this year, we expect Google to join the foldable ranks with the long-awaited Google Pixel Fold.

Rumors of the Pixel Fold have existed for a long time, but all signs are pointing to 2023 finally being the year it makes its grand debut. And what a debut it's shaping up to be. From all of the latest renders, hands-on images, specs, and more, here's everything you need to know about the Google Pixel Fold.
Google Pixel Fold: design

Read more
The Pixel 8 just leaked, and it has one big thing I can’t wait for
Google Pixel 8 in depicted in white.

For another year, Google’s next-gen phones are out in the wild months ahead of their grand reveal at a fancy event. Just a day ago, the Pixel 8 Pro was unceremoniously leaked, and now, the standard Pixel 8 has also received the same treatment. OnLeaks and MySmartPrice have shared reported renders and a 360-degree video depicting the upcoming Google phone from all angles.
The design changes are subtle, but easy on the eyes. Just like the Pixel 8 Pro, the corners are once again more rounded on the Pixel 8. The frame is metallic, and there’s a horizontal camera strip at the back with a metallic luster on top. Akin to the Pixel 7, we get two cameras on the Pixel 8, sitting in a pill-shaped cutout.

Another small aesthetic tweak is the earpiece grill at the top, which is now more prominent than what we saw on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. If the current-gen Pixels are any indication, the Pixel 8 is going to offer an excellent in-hand feel. Talking about in-hand feel, though, it appears that Google is once again pandering to the small phone loyalists.

Read more
5 things we’d love to see at Google I/O 2023 (but probably won’t)
Google Pixel Watch on a wrist.

Google's annual developer conference, Google I/O, kicks off on May 10. Don't let the words "developer conference" put you off, though, as Google I/O is one of the biggest and most exciting shows of the year.

We've already covered what we expect to see at Google I/O 2023, and that list includes the Pixel 7a, Android 14, and even a Google Pixel Fold. But although those are all things we're really looking forward to and expecting to see, there are a number of reveals we'd also love to happen ... but are extremely unlikely to appear on the grand stage.

Read more