Google has officially unveiled its first folding device – the Pixel Fold – which is both a smartphone and a tablet in one. But the bad news is it is not coming to Australia at launch, and it won’t be cheap.
Also unveiled at the annual Google I/O event overnight was the Pixel 7a smartphone and the Pixel Tablet.
The Pixel Fold will be released next month in the US, Japan, Germany and the UK and will be priced at $US1,799.
That’s more than $2,650 Australian dollars.
Google is now going up against Samsung in the folding market with Samsung preparing to release the fifth generation of its Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold in the coming months.
The Pixel Fold is powered by last year’s Tensor G2 chip and has a 5.8-inch front screen and a 7.6-inch internal display with both screens offering 120Hz refresh rate.
Google’s approach to the Pixel Fold is about having fun and getting things done.
By that they mean the larger inside screen can be used to enjoy your content and divided to run two apps side by side for multitasking.
The larger inside screen has a mini taskbar to easily access your most used apps and drag them up to launch.
The custom-built hinge folds flat and Google says it’s the most durable on the market.
Pixel Fold also has an IPX8 rating for water resistance.
When folded the device is 1.2cm thick and unfolded just 6mm thick.
It has a hands-free tabletop mode where the device can be positioned half open like a laptop so you can watch content comfortably and create your own.
On the camera side you’re not getting a better camera than the Pixel 7 Pro but it’s still quite capable with a 48-megapixel main camera with 5x optical zoom.
PIXEL 7a – $749
The Google Pixel 7a is running the Tensor G2 chip and includes premium features like face unlock, 8GB ram and 90Hz refresh rate.
It has a similar design to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro including the camera bar which houses a dual lens camera system.
The device includes smart features like Live Translate, Recorder Speaker Labels and Video Messaging Transcription on the messages app.
There are also some AI features under the hood which include Call Screen and Clear Calling.
With Call Screen, the device tells you who’s calling and why so you can decide if you want to answer the call.
Clear Calling reduces background noise and enhances the caller’s voice.
Pixel 7a is priced at $749 and is available from today at the Google store, JB hi-fi, Telstra, Optus, office works in Harvey Norman.
PIXEL TABLET – $899 (128GB), $999 (256GB)
The Pixel Tablet will arrive in Australia on June 20 and offers an 11-inch display with four built-in speakers.
Google recognises one of the issues with a tablet is that when it’s time to use it again in your home it may not be charged.
That’s why the company designed a charging speaker dock so the device is on hand at any time and will always be charged when you need to use it.
More than fifty Google Apps have been optimised for the Pixel Tablet including Google Meet so you can have a high quality video call with your choice of more than 360 custom backgrounds.
The charging speaker dock not only keeps the device powered up but can also be used to turn the tablet into a hands-free device.
Hub Mode makes it possible for tablet sitting on the dock to be used as a smart home controller, a music and video player or digital photo frame.
Pixel Tablet includes the charging speaker dock and is priced at $899 (128GB) and $999 (256GB).
Preorders ahead of the June 20 release date start today at the Google Store and JB Hi-Fi.
From June 20, Pixel Tablet will be available at the Google Store, JB Hi-Fi and Telstra.
