Google was a late entrant into the foldable phone battle, with its first Pixel fold This only came about when Samsung was releasing the fifth generation of its Fold and Flip.
However, few people know that before its first foldable phone, Google already had a ready-made cell phone of this type, which was eventually abandoned.
Google had another prototype ready a year before the original Pixel Fold, but decided to scrap it because it was “not good enough,” Google hardware design lead Ivy Ross said on a 2023 episode of the Made by Google podcast.
Photos of a mysterious device that looks like the Pixel Fold first appeared on a quiet XDA forum thread, sparking quiet speculation that it is a fake or an early prototype. However, the site Android authority have confirmed that this is, in fact, our first look at the canceled foldable Pixel, codenamed “pipit”, and its specs.
Features of the cancelled Pixel Fold
- The cancelled Pixel Fold featured a seamless glass bar running the entire width of the device, much like the Pixel 6. The released Pixel Fold has a smaller brushed metal camera island that matches the look of the Pixel 7 Pro.
- Instead of Tensor G2 with Exynos Modem 5300, the device came with first-generation Tensor and Exynos Modem 5123.
- While the first-generation Pixel Fold was more like the Pixel 7a with updated cameras, the cancelled Pixel Fold had a much older setup with the rather old Sony IMX363 that debuted in the Pixel 3 in 2018. The other sensors are also downgraded, and the telephoto lens is completely missing.
- The device had a slightly smaller display (66 x 128 mm) compared to the Pixel Fold’s 67 x 130 mm. The resolution was also slightly different: 1080 x 2100 pixels compared to 1080 x 2092.
Source: Digital Trends
