The Google Pixel Fold 2 was nowhere to be seen at this year’s Google I/O event earlier this week.
The search engine giant debuted its Pixel Fold model last year at its developer conference but this year it was all about AI.
There were some hardware announcements from Google, aka the Pixel 8a and the dockless Pixel Tablet but they were made a week before Google I/O.
Rumours about the Pixel Fold 2 have been circulating of late, one of them showing the next-generation phone with a “bulbous, protruding camera bump” and how it might be folded (lol) into the Pixel 9 family.
Maybe Google will launch the Pixel Fold 2 later this year when it releases the Pixel 9 phone lineup. Or maybe we will be waiting forever.
Perhaps Google needs to release the Pixel Fold in Australia and other markets before it showcases the Pixel Fold 2.
Last year, we covered the Pixel Fold launch and made a very big note that not only could we not access the spec sheet (and had to get the U.S. Gizmodo to cover it) but it made no mention of a global launch. And one year later, there was still no mention of the Pixel Fold.
Perhaps they forgot about the foldable device and decided to focus on shoving AI into every single thing it currently owns. No seriously, Google has now put AI in Gmail, Search, Android 15, heck, even its beloved Photos App is getting AI.
Our take on the lack of hardware is that they wanted us to fixate on AI and not think about anything else. I understand that AI is en vogue but the I/O was a “snoozefest” and we were not impressed, especially because we had to get up at 3am to watch it. The only thing we loved was Mark Rebillet screaming GOOGLE MADE THIS in the pre-show DJ set.
Yes AI is coming and going to revolutionise the way we work, live and play, but some of us mere mortals just want some fun technology to play with.
I hope Google reads all the commentary around this year’s I/O event and makes it a bit more fun for consumers next year, these tech events used to be fun and over the top and now it’s just PR-approved announcements.
Anyway, I digress, bring the Pixel Fold to Australia!
Image: Google