Previously, Google presented only two smartphones in its main lineup, as well as a model with an index of «a». In 2024, this will not be the case — the company has significantly changed the naming of its devices, including a folding phone called Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
According to insider Kamila Wojciechowska, who shared the information with Android Authority, it became known that a fourth phone may appear this fall Pixel 9which no one expected. Google’s next folding phone will also be part of the overall lineup. So, the following smartphones will be released in the fall:
- Pixel 9 – code name «tokay»
- Pixel 9 Pro – «caiman»
- Pixel 9 Pro XL – «komodo»
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold – «comet»
The names were also confirmed by some software created for Google’s 2024 devices. It’s worth noting that Google referred to the device codenamed «comet» as «Pixel Fold 2» until a relatively recent stage of development. It is possible that the name «Pixel 9 Pro Fold» is not final either. However, it is what Google is using for the time being. If Google releases a next-generation foldable phone as a full-fledged member of the Pixel 9 series, the company will need to work on matching it to the flagship level.
First Pixel Fold is not considered by some to be a very successful device. The Fold was announced at Google I/O on May 10, 2023, making it what Google calls a «mid-year» device. This was probably the first sign that Google may not have been treating the Fold as a flagship device, as it should have been given the $1799 price tag. Google usually releases Pixel products at two main events each year: the fall event, where the flagship Pixel phones are the main focus, and Google I/O in the spring, where they usually introduce Pixel A.
In the Pixel Fold, buyers received a nine-month-old Tensor G2 processor, which was only slightly improved over the original Tensor, and only three years of Android updates. It may seem unfortunate that three months later, in October 2023, Google introduced the Pixel 8 series. It not only received a significantly improved Tensor G3 processor, but also a seven-year OS update. The company also introduced artificial intelligence features in the new series that its predecessors did not have.
There’s a way Google will make the Pixel 9 Pro Fold worthy of the Pixel 9: it was previously reported that it’s a Tensor G3 and will use a new Tensor G4 chip instead. In addition, leaked renders show that the design of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is closer to that of other Pixel 9 devices, unlike the original Pixel Fold, which resembled the Pixel 7 more than the Pixel 8.
Interestingly, this move will also make Google almost the only manufacturer to integrate its foldable devices into the mainstream smartphone lineup. Other brands create completely separate lines for their counterparts, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Fold or Motorola’s Razr. It would be interesting to know if the phone will debut alongside the rest of the Pixel 9 series in October instead of at Google I/O in May.
