The sequel to Google’s Pixel Fold could turn out to be substantially more powerful than anyone thought if a tipster's claim proves to be accurate.
You'd assume that the Pixel Fold 2 would adopt the Tensor G3 chipset, which is latest silicon from Google and found in the Pixel 8 phones it introduced last fall. But Android Authority is reporting that the next Fold will instead skip the G3 and go right to the Tensor G4. The claim comes from an anonymous source who works inside Google and claims to have knowledge of the company’s plans.
That's not all. The same report tabs the Pixel Fold 2 to include 16GB of RAM, the most memory ever found in a Google phone. The original Fold features 12GB of memory. And Android Authority's source claims the Pixel 2 will make the switch from UFS 3.1 storage to the UFS 4.0, which is faster.
The possible timing of the Pixel Fold 2's release makes us wonder about the Tensor G4 claim. The original Pixel Fold made its debut at Google I/O in May 2023 and shipped a month later. Assuming Google keeps that release schedule for the Pixel Fold 2, we'd wonder if a Tensor G4 chipset would be ready in time for Google I/O 2024. Typically, Google introduces the latest Tensor chips alongside its new Pixel flagship phones in the fall.
It's unclear exactly what a new Tensor chip might deliver, but given how Google's current silicon lags behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system-on-chip from Qualcomm, you'd hope that it would offer some sort of performance boost. To date, Google's Tensor efforts have largely focused on powering AI features for its phones.
You'd certainly expect that aspect to continue with the Tensor G4, especially with Samsung's newly launched Galaxy S24 phones offering AI capabilities of their own. That may explain the rumored boost to RAM on board the Pixel Fold 2, as new AI features could demand more memory.
It's also possible that the Pixel Fold 2 may have a different ship date Android Authority says the new device has only started its Engineering Validation Test (EVT) stage, which is several steps away from reaching mass production. That could mean a launch later this year instead of right after Google I/O.
For its part, Google hasn’t commented on any plans for the Pixel Fold 2. And we likely won’t know exactly what the company will deliver until it unveils the handset at some point this year.
