Google 'Pixel Fold' to Use Ultra-Thin Glass, Still on Track for 2021 Release

[MacRumors]

Google's designs on its first foldable Pixel phone appear to have ramped up a notch, with the company said to be tapping Samsung to supply ultra-thin glass (UTG) layers for an infolding 7.6-inch device that could launch this year.

MacRumors concept render​

According to a new report from The Elec, Google is just one of several mobile makers seeking to secure UTG orders from Samsung, which is currently the exclusive supplier of the glass. Xiaomi, Honor, and OPPO are all believed to be working on foldable phones with UTG.

Samsung's original 2019 Galaxy Fold used polyimide films, but the in-folding screens were susceptible to display creasing and panel breakages, and the company's subsequent folding smartphones, 2020's Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2, both used UTG. The latter has fared better under duress, seemingly proving that almost anything can be bent if you make it thin enough.

The report falls in line with previous suggestions in February that Samsung has been developing in-folding OLED panels to supply to Oppo, Xiaomi, and Google. Last month, The Elec also reported that Samsung would produce foldable displays for Google and other vendors in October, suggesting a "Pixel Fold" release in the fourth quarter of this year.

Documents leaked in August 2020 suggested Google plans to release a foldable pixel phone in Q4 2021. Google confirmed in 2019 that it is developing technology that could be used in foldable devices, although at the time the company played down the prospect of actually launching a foldable, saying it didn't see "a clear use case yet."

However, Google develops the software that has to run on all Android foldable devices, which put it at a distinct advantage when it comes to foldable hardware-software integration.

Market research firm Omdia expects foldable OLED sales to reach US$2.1 billion this year, a 203% increase from 2020. Most of the sales are expected to come through foldable panels made by Samsung Display, and while Apple appears to have not made a firm decision on whether it will launch a foldable smartphone, previous rumors have suggested that Apple has requested foldable display samples from Samsung for testing purposes in a future ‌iPhone‌.

Samsung has historically been a key supplier to Apple, providing the OLED screens for iPhones. The Korean company apparently intends to dominate the foldable display market as a UTG supplier, although the glass it's using in its current foldable phones is actually made by German manufacturer Schott, while U.S.-based Corning is also emerging as a UTG player.

Apple has been known to be working on foldable display technology for some years now, filing multiple patents regarding the technology, and rumors have also floated around LG's potential involvement.

The repeated suggestion of Samsung's involvement and orders being placed by Apple offers a more concrete suggestion that work on a foldable ‌‌iPhone‌‌ is quietly continuing, with some rumors suggesting a release as early as 2023.


Article Link: Google 'Pixel Fold' to Use Ultra-Thin Glass, Still on Track for 2021 Release

 

[timmyh]

Since when is this site called 'Googlerumors'?

https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201096168-Why-does-a-Mac-rumors-site-have-so-many-stories-about-phones-tablets-and-watches-

"We also cover stories of widespread interest to our regular readers, such as news and speculation about major software developers and third-party product and service vendors closely associated with or rivaling Apple."

 

[Morgenland]

Good Luck, Google . Count Down running...

 

[GadgetBen]

I like my gadgets and new tech from any brand, but this has to be the worst design flop ever.

Who even needs a folding phone?

except:
pass

 

[benh911f]

Honest question. Who is actually asking for folding phones?

 

[rgeneral]

In a few years, google will fold this one as well.

 

[jdavid_rp]

I like my gadgets and new tech from any brand, but this has to be the worst design flop ever.

Who even needs a folding phone?

except:
pass

Honest question. Who is actually asking for folding phones?

Well, they're just starting, maybe in 10 years we ask ourselves how we could live with nonfoldable phones .
Also the same question could have been asked with smartwatches:
Who wants a smartwatch when you have already a screen on your phone?

Or tablets:
Who wants a tablet? They're just big phones.

And the same with every new tech/product

 

[BulkSlash]

After seeing DankPod's video on the Galaxy Fold Z I'm a lot less keen on foldables until they fix the durability of them.

 

[kc9hzn]

I’m not sure why Google is putting a folding phone into their Pixel lineup. It doesn’t seem like they really have a value add here to justify it, and folding phones are still half baked enough that a firm with a limited handset range, like Google, probably shouldn’t go all in on folding displays yet. It’s one thing if you’re Samsung and you have devices competing in every niche, it’s another thing if you only sell 2 to 4 phones (current gen [Pixel 4], current gen large [Pixel 4 XL], updated prior gen [Pixel 3a], updated prior gen large [Pixel 3a XL]).

 

[Pezimak]

I like my gadgets and new tech from any brand, but this has to be the worst design flop ever.

Who even needs a folding phone?

except:
pass

Honest question. Who is actually asking for folding phones?

Well I think as Apple is heavily rumoured to be working on its own folding screen devices, and I assume you are Apple customers you should be asking yourselves that very question eh?

Personally I think this render is the best looking folding device we've yet seen, and it could be a lot better option then Samsung devices.
Although I think they still have a way to go yet before they are worth buying, and the prices need to be reduced too.

 

[tridley68]

Big fail why waste the money who really needs a folding phone didn't we already have those seems like a step back in tech just saying.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Honest question. Who is actually asking for folding phones?

You when Apple releases one.

 

[JBGoode]

Honest question. Who is actually asking for folding phones?

Well Samsung has supposedly sold at least 400,0000-500,000 of them so obviously those people.

I love people who think what they want or don’t want represents everyone. There is obviously a market for these as they keep being made, yet this same inane question is being asked. These are very obviously for people that want a large screen in a smaller package. I’m not sure why this is so hard for people to comprehend.

Some of you think it’s a stupid idea, we get it. But acting like you don’t comprehend it’s purpose or who would want it is disingenuous at best.

 

[4look4rd]

Honest question. Who is actually asking for folding phones?

Given how stale the ipad is, I’m considering jumping to android and a foldable device that combines phone and tablet would be ideal.

 

[kc9hzn]

Well Samsung has supposedly sold at least 400,0000-500,000 of them so obviously those people……

I love people who think what they want or don’t want represents everyone. There is obviously a market for these as they keep being made, yet this same inane question is being asked.

That’s over multiple revisions and years releases, though, and they probably don’t make a significant share of Samsung’s handset sales.

Anyway, Google’s own hardware presence in the Android market is considerably smaller than that of Samsung. Let’s say that Pixel phones sell a 10th of what Samsung phones sell (I’d imagine the order of magnitude is correct, even if the exact value is off). Assuming folding display phones would have sales for Google in proportion to Samsung’s, that means Google would only sell around 40,000 to 50,000, and that’s spaced out over multiple hardware revisions. Hardly a sound investment, from a dollars and cents perspective.

I think the reason these firms push so hard on folding devices as flagships is 1) folding displays theoretically are a prestige product currently (the market for them is likely not saturated yet), 2) it’s a spec that the Android manufacturers can currently compete with Apple on (much like phablets back before the iPhone 6+), whereas Apple has a multi-year lead on processor performance and everyone is using the same Sony camera modules, and 3) it’s a feature that allows them to sell a phone, especially a phone without flagship performance, at a flagship price (the profit margins are likely pretty good on them, too).

 

[5232152]

I like my gadgets and new tech from any brand, but this has to be the worst design flop ever.

Who even needs a folding phone?

except:
pass

If you weren't an Apple fan when the iPad came out you might not know this, but the iPad was a huge fiasco until people actually held one. Walter Isaacson covers this quite well in his Steve Job biography. I would suggest using one before you turn down new technical advancements.

 

[Zedcars]

Honest question. Who is actually asking for folding phones?

Since when have tech companies only released new products when people have asked for them? I can see a certain segment of the population wanting this kind of thing, probably more for bragging rights than actual usefulness. However, like most things, it's all in the implementation. Historically, Apple tends to be better at this than Google.

 

[dan110]

I’m not sure why Google is putting a folding phone into their Pixel lineup. It doesn’t seem like they really have a value add here to justify it, and folding phones are still half baked enough that a firm with a limited handset range, like Google, probably shouldn’t go all in on folding displays yet. It’s one thing if you’re Samsung and you have devices competing in every niche, it’s another thing if you only sell 2 to 4 phones (current gen [Pixel 4], current gen large [Pixel 4 XL], updated prior gen [Pixel 3a], updated prior gen large [Pixel 3a XL]).

I agree. Google is a frustrating company to work with as a consumer. I was really excited by their branded tablet. They released a totally unacceptable product at a ridiculous price.

Then they scrapped the entire product line instead of putting in the work that was needed. Imagine all of the first adopters that were hosed by this.

I bet there's a 50/50 chance they will scrap foldable phones in the same manner.

 

[yabeweb]

Since when is this site called 'Googlerumors'?

Never understood this replies, knowing what the competion is doing is a good thing, and can stimulate news and stuff.

And since we are at it, shouldn't this site only talk about Mac then? it's called Macrumors not Applerumors.

Be nice, enjoy the news you like and skip the one you don't

You when Apple releases one.

It's funny cause it's true, then people will be praising the marvel of progress.

I agree. Google is a frustrating company to work with as a consumer. I was really excited by their branded tablet. They released a totally unacceptable product at a ridiculous price.

Then they scrapped the entire product line instead of putting in the work that was needed. Imagine all of the first adopters that were hosed by this.

I bet there's a 50/50 chance they will scrap foldable phones in the same manner.

While I agree, the Nexus phones (especially 4 and 5) were amazing for us consumers!

 

[rp100]

“Under duress”. LOL!

I can only imagine a Pixel user threatening their phone. “You’re going to sideload that program or I’m going to bend you past 180 degrees. Or maybe we should get out the receipt and take you back to the store. Do you want to end up a refurb? DO YOU?!”

 

[kc9hzn]

I agree. Google is a frustrating company to work with as a consumer. I was really excited by their branded tablet. They released a totally unacceptable product at a ridiculous price.

Then they scrapped the entire product line instead of putting in the work that was needed. Imagine all of the first adopters that were hosed by this.

I bet there's a 50/50 chance they will scrap foldable phones in the same manner.

Well yeah, because Google uses the same approach to hardware that they use with software, especially services. Fail quick and close quick. If a service doesn’t end up offering the experience Google expected it to, Google will kill it off, even if it’s a major initiative service. Since that’s how project management works at Google, is it any wonder they treat hardware the same?

 

[the 12th Doctor]

Foldable phones won't launch into outer space until Apple does one.

 

[DMG35]

Unless you've used a folding phone you kind of don't know what you're missing. I've owned the Galaxy Fold 1 and now the 2 as a secondary line and let me tell you its a spectacular phone and really changes the way you use your phone from day to day. I'm not a huge fan of Android but with the right launcher I really like it.

I still prefer the iPhone and iOS but if the Pixel Fold is anything like the Galaxy Fold and possibly less expensive it will sell like hotcakes.

 

[StevieD100]

Given how stale the ipad is, I’m considering jumping to android and a foldable device that combines phone and tablet would be ideal.

Exactly what is wrong with the iPad? IMHO, it does exactly what it says on the tin and does it very well indeed.
Personally, I do not want a folding device. It just does not fit in with my workflow. My phone has a very different usage pattern from my iPad. As the iPad is a 12in device, I think that it would be hard to put that in a phone-sized package.
But naturally, each of us are different people.

 

[yabeweb]

Well yeah, because Google uses the same approach to hardware that they use with software, especially services. Fail quick and close quick. If a service doesn’t end up offering the experience Google expected it to, Google will kill it off, even if it’s a major initiative service. Since that’s how project management works at Google, is it any wonder they treat hardware the same?

Well it's not like Apple is any different, the charging station? did not even make it to production, Homepod got discontinued (same fate as the old Hi-FI) PING!!!! (I am sure Airpods will follow soon, heck they do not even support the lossless format they provide), Aperture, the iPad 3 and going back to the old days you can go from Pippin to Newton.

I mean it's normal for a company to cut parts that are not working, it's business 101.