Pixel Fold gets formal launch to cap Google’s messiest unveil

Abner Li | Jul 18 2023 - 1:50 pm PT

We questioned at the end of last month whether the Pixel Fold had launched yet, given a number of missed milestones. It’s now clear the answer at the end of June was no, with Google’s latest device only seeing its formal launch today.

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Pixel Fold review embargoes dropped on Monday, June 26, and the very first people to pre-order in May from the Google Store received units that Tuesday. Google released factory images that day, while shipments continued to slowly trickle out after that.

However, until today, the US Google Store listed the Pixel Fold as being available for “Pre-order.” It finally changed to “Buy” at the stroke of midnight Tuesday, with Google’s marketing and social channels marking the wider availability today with various posts and a design video:

#PixelFold is iconically Google and anything but ordinary.

Combining power and innovation in an elegant and durable silhouette, this pocket-size foldable is here to help you do more.

Shop Pixel Fold today at the Google Store: https://t.co/d7Ywx3ZKvK pic.twitter.com/UKRMukgcmT
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) July 18, 2023

Those that purchased from carriers towards the middle of last month only just started receiving their orders in bulk this week. As such, there were two big waves of deliveries. This is arguably the most important launch determination for the Pixel Fold.

To recap, there were two big waves of deliveries. In hindsight, the first one may have been unnecessary, if not an unforced error that resulted in a big availability gap. It comes down to the fact that Google did not have to start selling the Pixel Fold at the end of June. That was an entirely arbitrary deadline that the company didn’t even meaningfully capitalize on as a culmination of its Android large-screen efforts.

Meanwhile, the various “Shop Pixel Fold today” and “now” messages are somewhat overshadowed by the fact that orders placed today won’t ship until August 8-9, if those dates stick. For example, Best Buy is not shipping until August 17, a good month later, and it’s not currently available on Amazon.

It’s just another example of the Pixel Fold continuing to be one of Google’s roughest (from an inventory and shipping perspective) launches. An ongoing issue that first emerged last month and still continues is how some orders were pushed back, if not canceled outright, without a clear explanation.

What should have been a triumphant moment – the launch of a halo product that has gone through several iterations – is mired in basic issues that are unbecoming for a company that has, to date, launched seven generations of Pixel phones.

The Pixel Fold is an aspirational product in that most people won’t buy it due to the price but definitely are curious to preview the underlying technology. Given that Google has now released a smartwatch and tablet, I believe this inaugural foldable will be its last big hardware moment for quite some time (i.e., glasses, if that’s even happening).

However, when even the people that can afford to try it cannot do so without a lengthy wait, there is a serious problem with the entire process from manufacturing to shipping. In the grand scheme, it’s better for these issues to happen to the Fold rather than something more mainstream like the Pixel 8 or any other yearly flagship, but everything about this most recent launch has been messy.