Google launches new Pixel Fold with eye-watering price tag alongside new budget phone

Google has unveiled the new tech it is set to launch including the Pixel Fold, with an eye-watering price tag, alongside a new budget phone

Google has announced a new range of Pixel gadgets including the first folding phone and a new Android tablet set to rival the Apple iPad. The announcement came as part of the company’s annual I/O keynote conference yesterday (May 10).

The Android devices are set to rival products from both Apple and Samsung as the company continues to push its own brand of hardware. Google however has announced the folding smartphone will come with an eye-watering starting price of £1,749.

The Pixel Fold will overtake the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, which was previously the world’s most expensive foldable handset, costing £1,649. Google has said the Pixel Fold will be the thinnest foldable device when it launches next month.

Pre-orders for the devices are now available with the Google Pixel tablet set to be released on June 20. Google announced three products as part of their keynote speech which also saw them reveal they are working on an AI powered search engine.

What products are Google releasing

Pixel 7a

Google will first release its mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 7a. The phone will feature high quality hardware including a 6.1in OLED screen and a 90Hz refresh rate.

The phone will also feature both face and fingerprint unlocking, wireless charging and an upgraded dual-camera system. The new camera will feature a setting for new long-exposure modes and faster capturing in low-light conditions.

The Pixel 7a will cost £449 in the UK and comes with 128GB of storage, as well as 8GB of RAM. The phone will also feature the Tensor G2 chip which is already inside Google’s Pixel 7 Pro.

Pixel Fold

Google’s first folding screen device will come with an eye-watering price tag of £1,749. The Pixel Fold features a 7.6in 120Hz OLED screen on the inside of the device, which will open up like a book.

Google have announced their latest tech set to release in the next few months

The phone can be used like a regular smartphone when closed with a smaller 5.8in display which can be unfolded to make more of a tablet device. It will also feature a fingerprint scanner on the power button for easy unlocking.

The Pixel Fold will also be water resistant to depths of 1.5m and features a triple camera system on the back. The cameras will have a 5x optical zoom which is the first for a folding phone.

Google has added a series of apps to the folding screen, including a live translation app that displays text on both screens at the same time. The Pixel Fold will also have a Tensor G2 chip and 256GB of storage.

Pixel Tablet

The Pixel Tablet will be released on June 20, costing £599 and will be the company’s first Android tablet in seven years. Google aims to rival the Apple iPad with the device which will be “the first tablet that’s truly useful 24/7 in your home”.

The device will double as a Google smart display when placed on its magnetic charging speaker dock. The tablet has an 11in display as well as quad-speakers and a selfie camera for video calls.

In tablet mode it can be used for games, apps and videos as well as a split-screen multitasking feature. In “hub mode” the tablet can be used as a smart display, including features such as a digital photo frame, smart home controller and Chromecast screen for videos.