A recent report from 91Mobiles shows that Google's foldable smartphone — which most probably would be called the Pixel NotePad or the Pixel Fold — has been spotted on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) portal. The patent was reportedly filed in June 2021 and has now been published.

With the release of Google Pixel 7 devices coming up in October, it is highly likely that we could catch a glimpse of the prototype of the device if not the real deal. The possibility of a new Tensor chip in the foldable also seems plausible.

Late 2021 was the first time we heard chatter about a foldable Pixel being in the works and even a possible launch in 2022, but all that fell silent when Samsung's Z Fold 3 became a surprise hit.

It resumed soon in May this year when a media report claimed that Google had delayed the release of its first foldable smartphone until 2023.

In February, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, Ross Young, even mentioned in a tweet that Google would start the panel production of its foldable Pixel in Q3 and Q4 this year.

It's back! Looks like Google's foldable Pixel will start panel production in Q3'22 and launch in Q4'22.

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) February 14, 2022

There was radio silence again until recently, when a leak on the internet suggested that Google has signed a contract with Foxconn — a manufacturer that assembles Apple and Sony devices — for its latest flagship, the Google Pixel 7 series, and the mysterious foldable Pixel.

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The tipster also suggested that the new Pixel feature a ceramic body instead of the traditional metal, glass and plastic bodies that generally phones use. If this turns out to be true, the device could be heavier than most foldable phones out on the market. It is also said to be housing a 2K display and an "ultra-micro-hole camera" set on the phone's frame.

Flipping it around, the front of the phone could be similar to the OPPO Find N with a "relatively small-sized large screen" that folds inward.

Apparently, the outer screen could feature a centre-mounted punch hole display, which is par-for-the-course for many large-screen foldables.

The device will likely cost less than the $1,799 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

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First Published:Aug 8, 2022 4:36 PM IST