Google still appears to have plans to release a foldable phone. The search engine giant is still working on a flexible device, which could be ready by 2023, according to a recent piece from The New York Times. The move to a new location is reportedly being made by Google right now. China traditionally produces the majority of phones.
With Pixel 7, Google starts moving flagship production out of China as it ‘explores’ 2023 foldable pic.twitter.com/zEcywBV6Dh
— Lord Decay (@hatimhtm2003) September 1, 2022
The process of making the Google foldable smartphone
According to the cited source, due to geopolitical upheaval and “pandemic-induced supply chain delays,” Google has already begun to move its production facilities outside of China. The software behemoth now plans to start producing 50% of its high-end phones in Vietnam the following year, according to recent sources. China might be needed for certain incredibly complex and specialised products, though. Famous corporations like Apple intend to construct and manufacture a modest number of the iPhone 14 series in India for similar reasons. The majority of the upcoming iPhones will still be made in China, though. In essence, the relocation to India will allow Apple to “assess the ability for future manufacture.”
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According to the unnamed insider, “Google is investigating a foldable phone for 2023,” a folding screen and hinge would “certainly require production to be close to big suppliers in China.” The article claims that Google will keep working with Foxconn, a Taiwanese company, on a few of its phones, possibly even foldable ones.
The year’s two biggest tech launches have not yet taken place. Google is anticipated to unveil its new Pixel 7 series in the next weeks, while Apple is rumoured to announce its new iPhone 14 series on September 7. The Pixel phone’s launch date hasn’t been made public yet. But there has already been a lot of information leakage about both main series. The iPhone 14 lineup is probably going to come to India, but the Pixel 7 series isn’t expected to.
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Google stopped releasing its top-tier smartphones a long time ago. The Pixel 4, Pixel 5, or Pixel 6 were not shipped to India. Although it’s unlikely, it’s possible that Google will change its mind and release the Pixel 7 in India as well.