5 things we want to see from the Google Pixel Fold 2

The original Google Pixel Fold was generally well-received, and while leaks told us pretty much everything about it before launch, it was a competent new product for the foldable market. It had bright displays and a great camera setup and performed well overall. However, Google’s first attempt wasn’t all that great when compared to other competing devices, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or especially the OnePlus Open.

The upcoming Google Pixel Fold 2, or Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (please don’t name it that) is expected to take on a new form factor, similar to the likes of the OnePlus Open, and bring major improvements to the table, fixing a few design flaws. While the Pixel Fold 2 might be released in October alongside the other Pixel flagships, we’ve compiled a list of things we’d love to see on the upcoming foldable flagship from Google.

1 Design changes

Make it more user-friendly; not everyone has large hands

Google’s first attempt at foldables wasn’t terrible, and the company got a few things right. The device was relatively slim compared to most foldables, but quite heavy and wide. The result was that people like myself couldn’t comfortably use the device with one hand.

Luckily, the upcoming Pixel Fold 2 might have a similar form factor to the OnePlus Open, suggesting that Google is ready to give up on the idea of apps defaulting to landscape view while the device is open, as they did on the original Pixel Fold. This caused many apps to not work properly due to the aspect ratio, resulting in wasted space, as developers didn’t optimize their apps properly. Hopefully, this won’t be an issue on the Fold 2.

2 A better hinge mechanism

Please make it fold flat

While the Pixel Fold didn’t have many catastrophic failures, the phone wouldn’t easily fold completely open. It was certainly possible, but it required more force than initially thought, which made for an uncomfortable user experience. The first-gen Pixel Fold has held up well overall, but we’re hoping to see a much-improved hinge mechanism that easily folds shut and opens properly to a full 180-degree angle.

The original Pixel Fold was also IPX8 water-resistant, which, considering the hinge, is impressive. While we’d love to see IP68 water and dust protection on the Pixel Fold 2, it’s currently uncertain whether Google has managed to improve the ingress protection in the next iteration. Whatever the case, for as long as there is some liquid prevention, it should be pretty well protected against most destructive scenarios.

3 Software improvements

7-year support and even more features are required to compete

The Pixel 8 series phones were among the first devices to receive Google’s class-leading seven-year OS and security update promise, making these devices some of the longest supported on the market. The move will help users hold on to their devices for even longer, reducing e-waste.

Unfortunately, Google didn’t extend the OS and security support for the original Pixel Fold, which is only guaranteed OS updates for five years from its original release. The second-generation product has every opportunity to overturn that. We expect the Pixel Fold 2 to receive the same OS and security promise as the Pixel 8, and presumably, the Pixel 9 series.

Alongside the software update timeline, we’d love to see even more features and enhancements on the larger foldable display, making it a more feature-rich device to multitask and game on. Google already does a decent job with the floating taskbar on the bottom, and even enables users to use two apps side-by-side. Still, we’d love to see an option to use even more apps simultaneously, either side-by-side, in a floating window, or both.

4 Camera upgrades

A flagship foldable deserves a flagship camera setup

The camera of the original Pixel Fold was great, and while it was still a step behind the likes of the Pixel flagships, it was good enough to compete against other similarly priced foldables. In the Pixel Fold 2, major hardware and software improvements would be ideal, enhancing the experience and overall quality even further.

Google also unveiled several new AI features for the Pixel 8 series, and while some of those are already available for the Pixel Fold, we’d love to see even more features arrive. Given the price of the Pixel Fold, it’s only fair that we push Google to include even better hardware with more refined software, resulting in even higher-resolution and -quality photos taken by the Pixel Fold 2.

5 Faster charging and better battery

Let’s make the jump to faster-charging technologies, Google

The Google Pixel Fold supports 21W wired and 7.5W wireless charging speeds. Using the wired method, the Pixel Fold takes an hour and a half to go from 1% to 100%, which is too long compared to other devices that support 60W and even 100W charging speeds that can be topped up well under an hour.

Google has been stubborn when it comes to adapting industry-leading charging standards, and while we don’t expect that to change for the Pixel Fold 2, it’d be great to see some faster charging solution, for the wired and wireless methods. And speaking of wireless charging, the new Qi2 wireless standard would be a welcome feature on the next-generation foldable, making it easier to align and charge the device wirelessly.

Surprise us, Google

The Pixel Fold 2 hasn’t leaked in its entirety just yet, but we’re already hearing plenty of unofficial information. Rumors claim Google will switch to a more traditional foldable form factor, similar to the OnePlus Open, making the phone easier to hold and use with one hand.

The camera design on the back will also receive a slightly revamped look, and we’re expecting lots of new features and improvements made to the hardware and hinge mechanism to fix last year’s issues with the original Pixel Fold.

Whatever the Pixel Fold 2 might look like, we’re excited to see the new changes and improvements Google has in store for us in 2024.