New Google Pixel foldable just leaked before Google event — here’s what we know

Google Pixel Fold shown in hand
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The Google Pixel Fold is one of the best foldable phones, and a pretty phenomenal first attempt from Google. The question now is what the future of Google’s foldable phone range might have to offer, and a tantalizing piece of evidence suggests that there is another foldable Pixel in the works.

9to5Google’s sleuths have uncovered a new Pixel device in the works, codenamed “Comet”. Apparently they deduced that this isn’t a new phone in the Pixel 8 series, since those devices all have dog-centric names and the Pixel 9 is expected to use reptilian codenames. 

Code in the Pixel Buds companion app also labels the Comet device as “fold” and categorizes it with the original Pixel Fold (aka Felix). The question is what kind of foldable this device might be, because the Pixel Buds code isn’t particularly revealing.

Really there are two possible choices here. The first is a follow-up to the Pixel Fold, complete with the usual cycle of upgrades you’d expect from a brand new phone. If that’s the case we could see a new foldable launch in the near future with an upgraded chipset, camera, and possibly even the Super Actua display tech rumored to be coming with the Pixel 8. 

What those upgrades might be would totally depend on when the phone launches, and it’s likely that new hardware would be similar to that found in the most recent Pixel flagship — as was the case with the Pixel Fold and the Pixel 7.

Then again we may see Google launch a clamshell-style foldable, similar in design to the Moto Razr+ or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. A previous leak claimed that Google could release a clamshell-style foldable at some point in 2025. Similarly, when asked about a foldable Pixel flip phone, Google Pixel product manager George Hwang told us that Google is always exploring different types of technology and devices. That’s not an outright confirmation, but it does mean that such a device could happen — we just don’t know if and when it might arrive.

This revelation leaves us with more questions than answers, and it isn’t clear what Google’s plans for the future of Pixel foldables is. But it’s comforting to know that there does appear to be a future for the lineup, and that the Pixel Fold wasn’t a one-and-done device.

In the meantime, we have the launch of the Pixel 8 series to look forward to. You can check out what we expect to see in our Made by Google event preview, or alternatively check out our Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2 hubs for all the latest news and rumors.

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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.