It seems that this summer’s Pixel Fold will not be Google’s last foldable Android phone, as new evidence points to a new device in development that could be a Pixel Flip or Pixel Fold 2.
About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in the case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.
In the latest version of the Google Pixel Buds app, which rolled out today, the company includes preparation for this fall’s lineup of Pixel phones, including the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, codenamed “Shiba” and “Husky,” respectively.
Alongside those known Pixels, our team has uncovered another device codenamed “Comet.” For now, details are a bit slim on what precisely Comet has in store, but we can reason about a few things.
For starters, we know Comet’s likely not part of the Pixel 8 generation (including the Pixel 8a), as it doesn’t use a dog breed as a codename (though, tangentially, Comet was the name of the dog on Full House). As another example, the Pixel Fold (originally codenamed “Passport” before multiple iterations) was ultimately codenamed “Felix” because it was updated to run on the same Tensor G2 as the Pixel 7 series (“Cheetah” and “Panther”).
Similarly, it’s been reported that the Pixel 9 series will use reptile-related codenames, such as “Komodo” and “Caiman.” Thus, from its unique codename, we currently believe Comet will be separate from the typical annual Pixel release cycle.
Digging deeper into the code of the Pixel Buds companion app, Dylan Roussel found that Comet is lumped in with the Pixel Fold and is even dubbed a “fold” by the app. Note the numeral 7 used in the two portions of code seen below, while the numeral 6 refers to the Pixel Fold (Felix).
Considering the Pixel Fold is just a few months old at this point, it’s not clear to us whether Comet is an early preparation for the Pixel Fold 2 or if it’s our first sign of a Pixel Flip to match Samsung’s pair of foldable styles.
What do you want to see from Google’s next foldable phone? Would you prefer it to be a Pixel Fold or a Pixel Flip? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks to JEB Decompiler, from which some APK Insight teardowns benefit.
Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.
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