Google Confirms Second Pixel Fold Was in the Works: What Happened?

Google confirmed that a second Pixel foldable device was in the works, but it never saw the light of day.

The Head of Design at Google, Ivy Ross, sheds light on why they hold back from releasing another Pixel foldable.

Google Confirms Second Pixel Fold Was in the Works

(Photo : JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Members of the media view the new Google Pixel Fold phone during the Google I/O annual developers conference at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California on May 10, 2023.

Google has finally broken its silence and confirmed the existence of a second foldable device it was secretly developing alongside the highly anticipated Pixel Fold. But, according to GSM Arena, the tech giant's Head of Design, disclosed that the project was ultimately canceled.

The revelation came as a surprise to many, as rumors have it that Google was working on two foldable phones for some time. But contrary to the chatter, the tech giant launched a single Pixel Fold in early May.

Google's Design Head Ross revealed in the Made by Google Podcast that they developed a second Pixel foldable. He says, "[I am] really proud of the team because there was another foldable model that we had created, that we had the discipline to hold back."

Ross narrates that they humbly admitted to themselves the second device they are working on "is not good enough yet." So instead of delivering a half-baked mobile phone, they decided to abandon it, leading to a single product launch.

Was it the Google Pixel Flip?

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BERLIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 01: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Design mobile phones are seen during a press preview at the IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) 2022 consumer electronics trade fair on September 01, 2022 in Berlin, Germany.

As per Phone Arena, the Google clam-style foldable, potentially Pixel Flip, has been the center of rumors before the tech giant introduced the first-ever Fold. In fact, Google Pixel Product Manager George Hwang admitted during the I/O 2023 that they are interested in diving into different foldable form factors, such as a flip-style option.

But despite that, it is unclear if the canceled second Pixel foldable was a flip-style offering, Android Central reports. The recorded podcast failed to go into details about the mystery device. With no specs in mind, it is hard to tell if it was a clam-shell offering in the works.

Notably, the second foldable phone cancellation is a huge setback for Google, as it had been hoping to compete with Samsung in the foldable market.

The South Korean phone maker is currently one of the major tech juggernauts selling foldable phones, and it has been very successful in doing so. The Z Flip 4 is selling like pancakes. Meanwhile, other brands like Motorola and Oppo are playing catch up since Samsung dominates the foldable market segment.

Right now, Samsung releases two foldable devices every year - a clam-style option, Flip, and a sandwich-like foldable, aptly called Fold.

On the other hand, Google only debuted a similar offering to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the first-ever Pixel Fold, which starts shipping to customers next month.