Well, they’ve finally done it. After years of leaks, rumors, and prototypes, the Google Pixel Fold is finally a tangible, buyable foldable phone. While this phone will face stiff competition from the de facto Fold — Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 — Google’s tablet-cum-phone is still an intriguing device, especially here in North America, where we haven’t seen the foldable variety Europe and Asia have enjoyed.
The Pixel Fold may have finally debuted at Google I/O 2023, but it’ll still be several weeks until you can get your hands on one, but you can put your order in right now — so long as you’re not relying on any carrier upgrade programs or incentives. Here’s why preorders are staggered for Google’s most unique phone to date.
Source: Google
Google Pixel Fold
Google’s first foldable will no doubt have growing pains, but it’s set itself apart from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 in shape and style. With a shorter, wider profile, the Pixel Fold’s cover screen should be easier to use, and the landscape orientation of the inner screen should hopefully help for both multi-window apps and for watching videos.
Where can you preorder the Google Pixel Fold right now?
The Pixel Fold is a Google Store exclusive for an unknown number of days before preorders open elsewhere, so for right now, you can only order it directly from Google. The starting price for the Fold at the US Google Store is $1,800, and the phone will ship out to you on June 27 — or hopefully a few days earlier, as has been the case for the last few flagship launches.
While it feels great being the first to buy a new toy phone, if you’re willing to wait a couple of weeks, you might have some better deals to choose from.
Google Store bundle
If you preorder your Pixel Fold from the Google Store, you will get a Pixel Watch with your purchase when it arrives in June. I do wish Google was throwing in a case to protect this pricey phone, but given Google’s recent track history with first-party cases, I can understand throwing in a $400 watch with this $1,800 purchase rather than a cheaper case.
When can you preorder the Pixel Fold at carriers or other retailers?
In the coming weeks, you’ll be able to preorder the Google Pixel Fold from carriers and (presumably) other major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, but exact dates may vary by retailer. This is also likely when we’ll start seeing the first deals on the Pixel Fold, if not from Amazon then from carriers.
So far, the only U.S. carrier to reveal its Pixel Fold preorder date is Verizon, with that date being June 20 — only a week before the June 27 release — but the big red checkmark won’t share promotions or prices for the phone quite yet. Verizon versions of Pixel phones sometimes cost more for the mmWave support, but with the phone already costing $1,800 unlocked, let’s hope this doesn’t happen to the Fold.
$1,800 is a lot to drop on a single purchase, even if you have a relatively recent flagship to trade in for it. Given how much better carrier trade-in offers have been over the last several months compared to manufacturers like Samsung and Google, you might be able to save hundreds more if you can hold out a bit longer. It’s too far out for us to see all the deals that will be available, so nothing’s guaranteed — especially for you T-Mobile users; trade-in values for ya’ll have been abysmal.
Which countries is the Pixel Fold being sold in?
This is a first-generation Pixel device with a high price tag, so it makes sense that Google is limiting the markets in which it has to certify, stock, and market this phone. As such, the only four countries getting the Pixel Fold are:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Japan
While there’s always the hope that the Fold may come to other markets later down the line, given its price tag, it’s far more likely that those of you living in countries not on this list will be waiting until the Pixel Fold 2 at the least.
