Using the original Pixel Fold in 2026 shows Google's early vision
Google launched the original Pixel Fold three years ago.
The short version
- It featured a wide screen design that was ahead of its time.
- Today, newer devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 prove that wider screens work well.
- Google abandoned the shape because Android apps were not ready then.
Why it matters to you. For business owners carrying phones all day, shifting standards mean buying cycles change fast when tech giants abandon old designs.
Looking back at the original Pixel Fold from 2023 reveals just how much Google got right, and why the device ultimately struggled, according to 9to5Google. Google, the giant search and software company, stepped into the foldable phone market with high hopes and heavy hardware.
The phone offered sturdy parts and good cameras, but it also brought a glossy metal frame, heavy weight, and heat issues from its processor chip. Yet, the core idea of a wider screen was spot on. While Samsung, the major electronics maker, now finds massive success with wide foldable screens, Google dropped the design when early apps refused to scale properly.
As the writer notes after years of tracking tech trends, it is classic Google to spot a future trend early, stumble on the execution, and leave it behind too soon.
Photo: Asoundd, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
