Last year’s Google Pixel Fold, while being the company’s first-ever folding phone, was not received as well as its rivals Samsung or OnePlus. Now the company is thinking about ditching the Pixel Fold name, perhaps to change the public’s perception of the brand.
According to AndroidAuthority, an insider has told them that the next foldable phone from Google will be called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold instead of the expected Pixel Fold 2. It could launch alongside the Pixel 9 series in October instead of Google’s upcoming I/O developer conference in May. The I/O event is expected to talk about Android 15 instead, similar to how Apple reveals the next iOS ahead of its new iPhones.
This would mean that the October launch will feature not two, but four smartphones this time, namely the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and the rumored Pixel 9 Pro XL alongside the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. While the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL would serve as the natural successors to the Pixel 8 series, the Pixel 9 Pro is touted to offer a smaller form factor akin to the Pixel 9, yet boasting the usual spec upgrades characteristic of the Pro line. There is no information on whether this lineup change will eliminate the Pixel 9a or whether the A series will continue to exist just as before.
All these devices are expected to integrate the forthcoming Tensor G4 SoC. As with any pre-release information, it’s important to note that these details may evolve before the official launch. That being said, more details should also surface ahead of the October launch, so stay tuned.