What you need to know
- A leaked internal Android document suggests Google could launch its first foldable Pixel phone in 2021.
- In addition to the foldable Pixel, Google is also working on the Pixel 5a and two other devices.
- The Pixel 5a, according to the document, will be released in the second quarter of 2021.
Google took the wraps off the Pixel 4a earlier this week and confirmed that the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G will arrive this fall. The exact launch date of the two phones was also revealed earlier today, thanks to a slip-up by Google France. Now, an internal Android document obtained by 9to5Google has shed some light on Google's 2021 smartphone lineup.
The document apparently includes a list of Android builds for all existing and a few unannounced Pixel smartphones. Aside from the Pixel 5a, which is believed to be codenamed "barbette," the list also mentions three other devices: raven, oriole, and passport. It is being speculated that "raven" and "oriole" could be Pixel 6 models, while "passport" is referred to as a "foldable" in the document.
This is actually not the first time that Google has been reported to be working on a foldable phone. Google was first reported to be working on a foldable Pixel phone in May last year by CNET. Mario Queiroz, who was the Pixel head at the time, confirmed that Google was indeed "prototyping the technology."
In addition to the codenames of upcoming Pixel phones, the document also notes that the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are slated to be released in October. The Pixel 5a, on the other hand, is planned to be released sometime in the second quarter of 2021.
