Will the Pixel Fold be any good?
Google makes its annual big announcements at I/O, but one product stands out
It’s that time of year again. It’s Google I/O!
For those who haven’t been following along, it’s Google’s annual developer conference that has also served as a forum for them to announce new consumer products and services.
As a self-proclaimed Android/Google nerd, I’m always curious to see the latest announcements coming out from the company. Typically, their “Made by Google” event in fall (which I covered last year) is the marquee product event of the year. But Google I/O has become another chance for the company to tease new products or demo things that may not be ready for prime time just yet.
There were a few big announcements this year at I/O. I’ll give my quick thoughts on a few of them before diving into arguably the most important announcement.
If you’re looking for a quick recap of the entire keynote, I’d recommend the fantastic 10-minute condensed video that The Verge put together below:
Pixel 7a and Pixel Tablet
Let’s start by taking a look at two new products from the Pixel line. First up is the new Pixel 7a phone. This one is fairly similar to the previous Pixel 7 (which is currently my daily driver phone) with a few small upgrades. The biggest headlinew for me here are the smaller screen size and really cool colors!
Sure, there are some other spec upgrades from the 6a and Pixel 7, but Google went with some really fun colors for this model. That’s something that has been sorely lacking on the last few Pixel updates in my opinion. The “coral” and “sea” color options are particularly sharp looking. And a 6.1” screen really does feel like the perfect size. I’m sick of phones with huge screens and applaud Google for continuing to offer smaller options.
While the phone was fairly predictable, I’m more excited about the new Pixel Tablet. As someone who has owned more Android tablets than he’s proud to admit, it’s true that they’ve never been great. They’ve all had their shortcomings from a hardware perspective or maybe the hardware was solid but the Android OS just didn’t perform well on the larger screen.
I’m hoping that the Pixel Tablet changes all that. It’s designed to be a natural upgrade over the fantastic Nest Hub Max smart screen. It’s basically a smart hub that can be pulled off its docking station and carried all around your house. It’s something that most of us with Nest Hubs have wished or attempted to do in the past. When you need it to just be docked it can peacefully live as a handy visual assistant in a kitchen or by your bedside. When you need to take it around your house to watch content or control your smart home it can just be pulled off the dock and easily toted around.
There are tons of software solutions here that could make this tablet even more useful. And you could potentially have multiple docking stations around your house to charge it and use it as a smart hub when needed. Plus it will be running the latest Google Tensor 2 chip so it should be snappiest, most enjoyable tablet experience that Google has ever offered. The $499 price tag does also include the magnetic base charging dock which is great. I could have totally seen them charging extra for that, it was a smart move not to.
Bard and AI Snapshots
Of course there were plenty of AI announcements at IO this year. Most notably, Google is opening up its Bard AI ChatGPT competitor to anyone who wants to try it out. There had previously been a long waitlist to access it. I made it off the waitlist a few months ago and had a chance to play around with it. It was mostly impressed but didn’t see it as something I needed to use on a daily basis just yet.
But something that I would use on a daily basis is their AI Snapshots feature. This is something that will automatically populate within Google search results. It’ll show up at the top like other Google search cards of the past, except this will have an added bit of AI to help you better digest the subject you are searching for. I’m eager to see how it works in real time.
New Google Home App
This is a minor one, but for those of us who are really immersed in the Google smart home ecosystem, it’s a big one. The Google Home app has been pretty bad over the years. The menus are confusing, the design isn’t great, it just leaves a lot to be desired.
Well, there is a new version of the app that is launching, and it will probably look great on that new Pixel Tablet. We just need an easy to use visual representation of our smart home. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask, and I’m hoping that Google has made some major improvements.
Wear OS 4
I’ll hold off judgment on this one until I’m actually able to use it, but there will be a new version of Wear OS coming to Pixel Watch and possibly some other wearables.
I’ve held off on getting a Pixel Watch in hopes that gen 2 would be a big upgrade. With a new version of Wear OS and hopefully improved battery life and a more durable casing, I could certainly see myself buying the next Pixel Watch.
Pixel Fold
And finally, we get to the Pixel Fold. This long-rumored device is Google’s answer to Samsung’s line of high-end foldable phone/tablets. And I’m really hopeful that it will be a success!
I love the dimensions of the device. They managed to get the front screen down to a more pocketable 5.8”. Then you can open it up to enjoy the fully immersive 7.6” rectangular screen. These seem like perfect dimensions for these screens. I could see this setup working really well.
Of course, I’m hesitant to jump on any first gen product from Google. I’m sure there will be some issues to iron out. I hope that the folding hinge will be durable. The battery looks a little underpowered for that large screen. And of course like all foldables, it’s still a bit expensive at $1799. And Google doesn’t seem to be giving the same level of trade-in cash that Samsung is known for.
Will the Pixel Fold be a success? Will it be any good at all? I’m not sure but I’m tempering my expectations. I was surprised to see the marketing blitz already in full-force during the NBA Playoffs this week. Google is going to do everything it can to get this phone in front of as many people as possible.
I’ll keep my eyes on the reviews as they come trickling in. And we all know that $1799 price tag will likely dip a bit come November, so it may be worth waiting. They are throwing in a free Pixel Watch with your pre-order purchase, but that won’t be enough to entice me.
Anyone else out there excited to try out the Pixel Fold? Any other announcements from Google I/O tickle your fancy?
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
Hey! Could you use some help establishing healthy habits? Do you have a big project or new business that you want to get off the ground but could use some advice? Maybe you could benefit from hiring me as your coach. If you’re interested, read more about my coaching services here, or go ahead and book some time on my calendar to discuss further.
Iterate is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you should let me know that this writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won't be charged unless I enable payments at some point in the future. Think of it like an IOU in a tip jar.