Eric Zeman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The upcoming Android 12.1 update reportedly contains references to a second foldable Pixel.
- The so-called Jumbojack device could be an in-folding phone akin to Samsung’s foldables.
- It’s unclear whether this device will launch alongside Google’s Passport foldable.
It’s believed that Android 12 will be followed by Android 12.1, marking the first time Google will offer a point release since 2017’s Android 8.1. But it looks like this upcoming minor Android update also holds some clues about a second Google Pixel foldable.
9to5Google reports that the Android update contains references to a second Pixel foldable code named Jumbojack, citing a source familiar with Android’s development. The outlet notes that this foldable is being used as a tester device and could potentially be for internal usage only. But they also claim that Google is specifically calling it a Pixel device, suggesting that it will indeed be a commercial product.
It’s believed Google is using the Jumbojack device to test “posture” features, which refers to hinge positions such as open, closed, “half-opened,” and more. As for the actual form factor, 9to5Google thinks this new Pixel foldable packs two displays. This suggests an in-folding design with an internal folding screen and a smaller external display rather than a Huawei Mate XS-style out-folding form factor.
What about Google’s first foldable?
News of a second Pixel foldable comes more than a year after we first heard about the first Pixel foldable, code named Passport. It’s believed this first foldable could launch in Q4 2021, although it’s unclear whether it would be joined by the Jumbojack device.
Serial leaker Evan Blass has also corroborated the existence of the Passport device today, noting the Passport code-name and a release before the end of 2021. Blass added that Google has been working on the device for more than two years.
Previous reports out of South Korea suggest that a future foldable Pixel — likely the Passport — will offer a 7.6-inch foldable display as well as ultra-thin glass. If a 7.6-inch display is indeed in the works for the Passport device, then it stands to reason that the Jumbojack foldable could be a smaller, clamshell-style foldable like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. After all, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a 7.6-inch foldable screen as well.
Either way, we’ll need to wait for more leaks and an official reveal to see what Google has to offer. But the company will have a challenge on its hands if it hopes to make a dent in a foldable segment that’s been cornered by Samsung.
