While the rest of the world has seen some new competition in foldables – including some new contenders straight out of MWC last week – we in the US are still stuck with Samsung as our only real choice. Thankfully, that’s set to change soon, with OnePlus publicly confirming it will launch a foldable phone later this year, and Google’s Pixel Fold almost certainly on the horizon, with a possible debut as early as two months. An eagle-eyed Redditor was lucky enough to spot one in the wild this week, though it’s hard to tell much from the photos they managed to get.
Reddit user u/onetaketeo posted on the Google Pixel subreddit about noticing someone – likely a Google employee – using a Pixel Fold on the A Train in New York City. Their first post included a few quick impressions of the phone, noting that the bezels on the outside of the device seemed thin and that it came in a dark blue or black. A few hours after uploading these comments, the user added photos of the foldable tablet, though unfortunately it’s hard to get much out of the images.
The most visible image uploaded to Reddit.
Due to the fact that the movement of the train made it difficult to get non-blurred photos – not to mention the effort to keep it low key – there is at least one image that shows what appears to be the outer screen of the Pixel Fold. The alleged Google employee holding it covers the device with both hands to prevent nearby passengers from noticing the phone while a video plays on the screen. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the phone looks like, but the aspect ratio certainly seems more in line with what we’ve seen from early Pixel Fold renders than the Pixel 7 Pro.
The other three images show what the Pixel Fold could be.
Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to make a lot of assumptions based on the only viewable image of the bunch, but it looks like the hinge runs along the top of the screen as the employee holds it in their hands. If that’s the Fold’s outer screen, it’s a much more traditional aspect ratio than what we’ve seen from Samsung. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as early rumors about Google’s upcoming phone hinted it would be closer to Oppo’s latest designs than the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
If anything, this spotting suggests – assuming it’s indeed the Pixel Fold – that Google’s upcoming phone is almost ready for a public debut. While the latest word on a launch window suggests one will be available alongside this fall’s Pixel 8, the company has embraced early announcements for its gadgets. Last year, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro were briefly shown on stage at Google I/O, while the yet-to-be-launched Pixel Tablet officially debuted at the Made By Google event in October. With this year’s I/O officially set for May 10, we could be just two months away from our first confirmation that the Pixel Fold is real – and given Google’s history, there’s plenty of time for more leaks.