The Google Pixel experience would be the perfect fit for a flip phone

Ben Schoon | Jun 25 2023 - 9:00 am PT

Flip phones are making a comeback in the foldable era, and I can’t help but think that Google’s Pixel experience would be the perfect fit for the form factor.

This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google’s rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox early!

Over the past couple of weeks using the new Motorola Razr+, I was able to get a taste of what a clean version of Android feels like on a foldable flip phone. Don’t get me wrong – Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Oppo’s Find N2 Flip are absolutely stellar devices, but their respective One UI and ColorOS skins often feel a little too cluttered for a device that really shines when it fades into the background.

In Motorola’s case, the Razr+ delivers well in its software. The whole experience feels clean and easy to navigate. Despite some bugs and stutters, it’s an absolute delight. But what I really want to see is a “Pixel Flip” with a similar form factor.

Motorola Razr+ Review: The flip phone king reborn

Google’s Pixel experience thus far has been built around the idea of ambient computing and, to a lesser extent, digital wellbeing. And that experience feels like the perfect fit for a foldable flip phone. Where Google adds layers of separation from distracting apps through features like pausing apps, “Flip to Shhh,” and Bedtime mode, a flip phone would give the company a chance to add a literal physical layer of separation. Close the phone, and your apps get to fade away – or, at least, take on a new form.

And Google has shown that it could be really good at designing use cases for an outer display. Whether it was intentional or not, the Google Home app is a true delight on the Razr+’s outer screen, and it stands to reason that a lot of those principles could be applied elsewhere. Beyond that, too, Google is rumored to be working with Samsung to optimize apps for the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s outer display. And, even if Google didn’t have a huge outer display here, the thought of At A Glance on a flip phone’s outer display is tantalizing.

Google could also potentially solve the biggest problem we’ve seen with flip phones so far: the camera.

Of course, I’d worry about a “Pixel Flip” with the current iteration of Tensor with its heat and battery issues, but between the software experience and Google’s camera prowess, this is a device I want to see. And, rumor has it, we just might.

This Week’s Top Stories

Pixel Tablet Review

This week saw Pixel Tablets start arriving on doorsteps for early buyers and also our full review of the tablet. You can read Abner Li’s full review here and watch our Jordan Floyd’s video review too.

The Pixel Tablet is the best way to experience Android’s progress on large screens, from the core UI to first- and third-party apps. The $499 128 GB device feels better than it looks, and my takeaway is that you won’t regret getting this instead of a Galaxy Tab or even an iPad. The Pixel team’s take on a large-screen OS is more thoughtful than Samsung, and it starts to approach Apple’s ecosystem cohesiveness. The extra kick over both is the Smart Display layer, Hub Mode. You will get meaningfully more utility as it turns a large screen into a key part of your smart home thanks to the included dock.

‘Chromebook X’ is coming

As we exclusively reported this week, Google is working on a new initiative with Chromebooks called “Chromebook X.” The special branding will apply to high-end machines and unlock special features. The first Chromebook X products could arrive pretty soon too.