Why Google abandoned its second foldable phone

Alphabet-owned company launched its first foldable device earlier this month at the I/O conference in Mountain View

The new Google Pixel Fold phone. Getty

Google, which entered the foldable smartphones market earlier this month, said it was working on two different foldable models but later abandoned one of them after being dissatisfied with its quality.

Ivy Ross, vice-president and head of design for hardware products at the Alphabet-owned company, confirmed this in a recent episode of the Made By Google podcast.

“I’m really proud of the team because there was another foldable model that we had created, that we had the discipline to hold back and say ‘nope, it’s not good enough yet’, and really wait until we felt like we could do something that was good enough or better than what was out there already,” Ms Ross said.

“So, it’s really a testimony … to the fact that we are able to do that and recognise when something isn’t good enough.”

Google launched its first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold, at the Google I/O conference in Mountain View, California, on May 10.

Priced at $1,799, the notebook-style smartphone features a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.8-inch cover screen.

Powered by Google’s own Tensor G2 chip, the Pixel Fold has a familiar smartphone silhouette that fits in the palm of the hand when it is folded, but opens into a wide screen for professional users.

Orders are open, with Google expecting to start shipping the device to customers next month.

Ms Ross did not confirm the type of the abandoned foldable smartphone that Google was working on.

However, industry links indicated that it was a budget-friendly clamshell-like foldable phone that could easily fit in one's hand, and that Google was aiming to win over young consumers through the device.

Foldables – ray of hope in declining market

Foldable phones remain the one positive talking point in the smartphone market, which declined more than 11 per cent in 2022, according to the International Data Corporation.

Foldable phone shipments are expected to hit 21.4 million units this year, an increase of more than 50 per cent on an annual basis, the researcher predicts.

They are further projected to reach 48.1 million units in 2027 at a compound annual growth rate of 27.6 per cent between 2022 to 2027.

The IDC expects a drop in the average selling prices of foldable phones, a development that is expected to attract more customers eventually.

A 10 per cent decline in average sales price helped the market to grow by 75.5 per cent in 2022.

A bicycle path along Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

Workstations in Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

Sitting area at Google's Campfire Corner in Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

Sitting area at Google's Campfire Corner in Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

Interior view in Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

Interior view of Google's Campfire Corner in Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

Interior view in Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

An exterior view of building BV200 and Google shared bicycles during a tour of Google's new Bay View Campus. Reuters

A seating area in Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

Google announced the opening of its new Bay View campus in Silicon Valley, representing the company's first time developing its own major campus. EPA

Art work in Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

An Office directory in Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

Interior and ceiling view of BV200, Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

The Google bicycle Pedal Park inside Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

Binary code and art work on the window of Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

The side of Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

An outdoor weight room in front of Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

Binary code on the window of Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

The Google logo in front of Google's Bay View Building. EPA

An interior view of BV200, Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

An Interior view of BV200, Google's new Bay View campus building. EPA

A Google Android bot in the lobby of BV100, Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

The Bay View campus was designed by architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Heatherwick Studio, as well as Google's design and engineering teams and spans 42 acres adjacent to the open space, two office buildings, and 1,000-person event centre. EPA

A coffee table made out of a wood stump in the sitting area at BV200, Google's new Bay View campus. EPA

Google employees in the cafeteria area in Mountain View, California. EPA

A Google employee in the cafeteria area in Mountain View, California. EPA

A worker inside Google's new Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Bloomberg

A seating area inside Google's new Bay View campus. Bloomberg

Inside Google's new Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Bloomberg

Workers inside Google's new Bay View campus. Bloomberg

A mural inside Google's new Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Bloomberg

Inside Google's new Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Bloomberg

Workers in one of the many dining areas inside Google's new Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Bloomberg

Inside Google's new Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Bloomberg

Desks inside Google's new Bay View campus. Bloomberg

One of nine pieces of art created by Bay Area artists for the campus. Reuters

Can Google pose a threat to Samsung’s lead in foldables?

Samsung is the world's biggest mobile phone maker, and holds a market share of about 62 per cent in the foldable category, way ahead of second-placed Huawei Technologies, the latest Counterpoint Research data shows.

Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo, all based in China, have introduced foldables but they are mostly limited to the Chinese market.

It appears for now that the South Korean company does not need to worry about competition from Google due to the limited availability of the Pixel Fold.

At the time of launch, Google said the new phone would be initially available in Germany, Japan, the UK and the US, followed by launches in other markets. However, it did not share any timetable.