When Google launched the Pixel Fold almost a year ago, it arrived separately from the brand’s other flagship smartphones. This year, however, a new report claims that the next Pixel Fold will be moving up in the world, and might receive a name change to match, making it the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
A Google insider reportedly told Android Authority that Google has adjusted its internal naming structure, and we can expect four Pixel phones to launch in the Fall of 2024. We’ll get a Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, of course, but joining them will be a new super-sized Pixel 9 Pro XL and the rebranded Pixel 9 Pro Fold, previously referred to as the Pixel Fold 2.
The change in name and launch strategy could signify that Google might be treating the next foldable as a proper member of the Google Pixel 9 family, rather than a bit of an experimental mid-year device, like the original Fold. And that’s an exciting prospect.
As impressive as the Google Pixel Fold is, it was never treated as a full flagship, sharing more similarities with the previous-generation Pixel 7-series than the Pixel 8 phones that the brand launched just a few months later. If this news proves true, it should mean that the next Google foldable gets a cutting-edge SoC and all the fancy AI-powered features that the Pixel 9 series is sure to bring with it.
It’s hard to gauge the accuracy of these claims, but it gives us some hope for the upcoming device. Currently, it feels like Google is lagging behind in the foldable game, and this could be just what the lineup needs. Perhaps we’ll see a teaser at Google I/O next month, but in the meantime, you can check out our guide to the best flip phones and best foldable phones out there.