Foldable phone market to hit US$42 billion by 2027 as Google enters with US$1,799 Pixel Fold

The foldables market is predicted to triple by 2027, accounting for 50 million units annually, according to data firm IDC

A ‘pricing dream’, foldables will account for an outsize 5 per cent of all smartphone wholesale revenues worldwide in 2023, one analyst says

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The new Google Pixel Fold phone is displayed during the Google I/O developers conference in Mountain View, California. The foldables market is expected to triple by 2027. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Published: 4:15am, 12 May 2023Updated: 5:06am, 12 May 2023

Google has introduced a US$1,799 foldable smartphone, as well as a new entry-level Pixel phone and a tablet for the home, in its latest attempt to spark hardware sales in an arena saturated by Apple and Samsung.

Launched this week at the Google I/O conference, the Pixel Fold is Google’s first entry into the growing foldables category and comes with a 7.6-inch main display and a 5.8-inch external panel.

Google touts this as the thinnest foldable in the markets where it will be sold, which include the US, UK, Germany and Japan.

The company also rolled out its first Pixel-branded tablet and a US$499 Pixel 7a, trickling down its 2022 flagship phone’s features to a more affordable price point. The three devices use an in-house chip known as the Tensor G2.

Google says that the Pixel Fold’s distinguishing features are its cameras and screen technology. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

The move into the pricier foldables category marks a strategy shift for Google, which has so far focused on undercutting the cost of rival devices.