We’ve been hearing rumors about the Google Pixel Fold for a while now, but with little to show for it. In fact, last we heard Google had scrapped plans to release the phone. But there may still be a chance for the Fold to hit the market, if this Geekbench report is anything to go by.
The report via MySmartPrice refers to the “Google Pipit," which is the alleged codename for the Pixel Fold, and the list of included specs looks impressive.
The benchmark screenshots reveal the phone as having 12GB of RAM, running Android 12 and a Mali-G78 GPU. Meanwhile, the chipset has eight cores and a clock speed ranging from 1.8GHz to 2.8GHz, suggesting that it’s Google’s in-house Tensor chipset that debuted on the Pixel 6.
You may recall that the Pixel 6 Pro runs with identical hardware, but since it’s already been released there would be no reason to test it under a different codename. But whatever this phone is, the report suggests Google is opting for performance — no matter what else it may have to offer.
Whether that will be enough to compete with the best foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 remains to be seen, however. One possible way Google could challenge Samsung is on price. For example, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro cost $599 and $899, respectively, while the Galaxy S21 ($799) and Galaxy S21 Ultra ($1,199) are $200 to $300 more.
This all being said, there’s no evidence that this is definitely the Pixel Fold. But considering the similarities between this phone and the Pixel 6 Pro, it isn’t likely that Google would release the phone without something to help differentiate it.
It’s also worth pointing out that a Geekbench score doesn’t mean this phone, whatever it is, will see the light of day. Assuming the report isn’t a fake. After all, phone makers often have various devices and prototypes that get scrapped at some stage in development, and never actually go on sale.
Unfortunately, the Pixel Fold has been something of a mystery, so we don’t have a lot to compare this report to, beyond the Pixel 6 range. There have been several reports claiming the Pixel Fold would have a 7.6-inch foldable display, and we've seen rumors that the Fold would feature a solo 12MP rear camera and an 8MP selfie lens.
We’re going to have to wait and see what happens, and only time will tell whether the Pipit will turn out to be the Pixel Fold or if it vanishes without a trace. But if Google is planning to launch the phone soon, it has a couple of opportunities. Mobile World Congress kicks off at the end of February, and Google I/O is likely to return sometime in May.
