This is the cancelled Pixel Fold that wasn’t good enough for Google

The Google Pixel Fold launched relatively late compared to other manufacturers’ first-generation foldables. By the time it finally came out in mid-2023, Samsung had just launched the fifth iteration of its foldable style (and debuted a second look with the more popular Galaxy Z Flip series), and many other companies had their firsts as well. This situation could have been very different, though: Google had another prototype ready a year before the original Pixel Fold, but decided to scrap it because it wasn’t “good enough,” Google’s head of hardware product design Ivy Ross revealed in 2023. Made by Google Podcast Episode.

While the existence of this canceled smartphone is a well-known fact, we never saw it in photos or learned about the full specifications, but that is changing today. Images of what appears to be a mysterious Pixel Fold-like device have quietly emerged for the first time XDA Forum Topic (The original photos are now gone, unfortunately, but we have copies), prompting muted speculation that it was either a fake or an early prototype. Thanks to an anonymous source inside Google, Robot body We can confirm that this is in fact our first look at the canceled Pixel foldable phone codenamed ‘pipit’ and its specifications.

Before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that the two devices codenamed “pipit” and “passport,” which were rumored to be canceled foldable Pixel devices, are actually the same device. Although they were two different projects at one point, they eventually merged into one device that he continues to call “pipit.”

The canceled Pixel Fold looks eerily familiar; The only feature that clearly sets it apart from the final version is a (mostly) smooth glass band that runs across the entire width of the device, very similar to the Pixel 6. The released Pixel Fold has a smaller camera island made of brushed metal, matching the look of the Pixel Fold. Pixel 7 Pro.

Other than that, the form factor hasn’t changed much. The unusual aspect ratio is the same, the frame and hinge look almost the same, and even the matte back glass was already there (the carbon texture on the top of the device is just leather added by the seller).

(We apologize for the quality of the images below. This is the best we could salvage from the deleted images in the thread.)

Unfortunately, the unit being discussed in this thread has a broken internal display, so we can’t compare it to the first-gen Pixel Fold. However, it’s fair to assume that it looks similar, if not identical.

Unremarkable specifications

If the “pipit” is released, it will be a few months after the Pixel 6 series, so its specifications are clearly a generation behind compared to the first generation Pixel Fold, which was based on the basic configuration of the Pixel 7. Instead of the Tensor G2 with an Exynos 5300 modem, it came The device was equipped with a first generation Tensor and Exynos Modem 5123, which was notable for the number of issues it encountered.

Likewise, the device had an older camera setup. While the first-generation Pixel Fold looked a lot like the Pixel 7a with its upgraded cameras, the ‘pipit’ had a much older setup with the rather old Sony IMX363, which debuted on the Pixel 3 in 2018! The other sensors are similarly downgraded, and the telephoto lens is completely absent. I’ve put together a camera specs comparison below.

Another area where the “suction” differs from the released Pixel Fold is the outer display. The device has a slightly smaller display at 66 x 128mm compared to 67 x 130mm on the Pixel Fold. The resolution is also slightly different at 1080 x 2100 pixels compared to 1080 x 2092 pixels.

But one thing that surprisingly remains the same is the internal display, which remains completely unchanged. Interestingly, Google did develop a prototype of the device with support for pen input. While the idea seems to have been scrapped in the end, the last prototype to include this concept was the “PIPIT EVT 1.0 Stylus.” While other versions of the device made it to the later DVT stage, it’s still interesting to see that Google was exploring something like this.

While the Pixel Fold that ended up on store shelves is an upgrade to the “pipit,” it seems somewhat gradual, which raises the question: What went wrong? Why wasn’t “pipit” good enough?

Of course, this is just speculation, but we can make a good guess by looking at the broader context in which it could have been released. “Pipit” would have been announced at Google I/O 2022, alongside the canceled Pixel tablet with the first generation Tensor (codenamed “tangor”; the device that ended up shipping was “tangorpro”). And Pixel 6a. This would also have made it one of the first devices to run Google’s big-screen-optimized version of Android – the 12L. It really couldn’t have been a better fit, so why wouldn’t it?

The Pixel 6 series launch was a mess. A big part of that was the flawed Android 12 release. While Android 12L fixed some things, it wasn’t even close to stable. Not only that, but a lot of features were delayed, making 12L less than it was supposed to be.

Google likely decided to push both its tablet and foldable a year early to make sure the software was ready and tweaked the hardware where necessary. What ended up shipping was by no means perfect, but it’s likely better than what we would have seen if Google had gone ahead with the “pipette.”

Until it was cancelled, the “pipit” was kind of a success: Our sources tell us that a lot of Google employees used the prototype units as their everyday devices, and the first-generation Pixel Fold certainly built on the hardware and software created for the canceled prototype. Hopefully the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold will continue this generational improvement.