Google Pixel Fold 2 leaked hands-on images reveal major design changes

Key Takeaways

• The Google Pixel Fold 2 could have a major design overhaul, with a new camera design and a taller, narrower form factor.
• The alleged Pixel Fold 2 might give up on the landscape mode and instead focus on a more portrait-oriented design, making it easier to use with one hand.
• The Pixel Fold 2 could potentially feature the powerful Google Tensor G4 chip and up to 16GB of memory, positioning it as a competitive device with top-notch specifications.

The original Google Pixel Fold was an impressive new device when it was announced at Google I/O back in 2023, and it showed the world that Google is paying attention, innovating, and trying to get a slice of the foldable market. Since then, the Pixel Fold has become our go-to recommendation for Pixel fans, and those in the Google ecosystem, and we’re eagerly looking forward to seeing what’s next in the series.

And given Google’s reputation for keeping things under wrap, we already have our first hands-on images of the reportedly next-generation Google Pixel Fold 2. Android Authority has shared the news, and a new image revealing the design of the alleged new foldable.

The image reveals that the next Google Pixel Fold 2 could have a major design overhaul, revealing a new camera design, and a taller and narrower form factor. While we don’t have the exact dimensions yet, it’s easy to tell the differences between the Pixel Fold and the alleged Pixel Fold 2 side-by-side. Android Authority’s source claimed that the Fold 2’s form factor could be similar to the OnePlus Open, and that the inner screen’s aspect ratio is closer to square, suggesting that Google may have given up on the idea of opening up the device to landscape mode, as it did on the original Pixel Fold.

The move wouldn’t be too surprising, given that many apps have straight up refused to play ball and stuck with portrait orientation, and the move could make the device narrower, and easier to use with one hand.

The other interesting tidbit is the camera setup and design. It looks like Google might do away with the visor-like camera bar, and replace it with a rounded rectangular shape that doesn’t stretch across the back of the phone. We’ve already seen renders of the Pixel 9 series show up, although the next flagship series would still somewhat retain the visor-like bar in a rounded shape.

And to top it all off, just a few days ago, we heard that the Pixel Fold 2 could skip the Google Tensor G3 chip and go straight for the Google Tensor G4 – the same chip that’s expected to power the next-generation Google Pixel 9 series of flagships (via Android Authority). The same source also claims the Fold 2 could have up to 16GB of memory, making the Fold 2 the first Pixel device to come with the most RAM ever on a Google-branded smartphone.

The move could suggest that Google might not release the Pixel Fold 2 at Google I/O in spring but launch it alongside the Pixel 9 series sometime in October. This would make the Pixel Fold more competitive and wouldn’t look outdated regarding specifications and hardware against other devices.

The alleged Pixel Fold 2 design could bring massive improvements

The new design changes, if true, could bring massive improvements to the Pixel Fold 2. The problem with the original Fold was that it was too wide, and many apps didn’t play well in landscape mode when the phone was unfolded. There were other issues too, such as durability concerns with the display and folding mechanism, or the device not opening up completely, but those are yet to be seen if Google has managed to fix them.

As things stand, and assuming the rumors and the leak are indeed from a trusted source, it could make the next generation Pixel Fold 2 a device I’ve wanted from the beginning. Doing away with the bezels on the inner screen, replacing the camera with a punch-hole unit, decreasing the crease, and making the overall device narrower have been on my wishlist since I saw the first renders many years ago.

This is exactly what the first device should have been, and it’s good to see Google listening to feedback and hopefully delivering a product that could be more user-friendly and modern than the first-generation product. Of course, take all this with a heavy grain of salt, since we’re still many months away from seeing the real product. If the phone is unveiled in October, then it’s still in the early phases of the development cycle, and we could see things change at any moment.