Given the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Motorola Razr+, and Oppo Find N2 Flip in recent months, it’s clear that flip-style foldables are here to stay and I think it’s more likely than ever that Google eventually creates a Pixel Flip.
Bars, screens, and shapes
I think whether Google makes a flip-style Pixel foldable comes down to how usable the cover screen will be. That was a design tenet that saw the Pixel Fold get a wide external display that comfortably runs all apps.
The same cannot be said of the Pixel Flip, which could either have a square or rectangular landscape screen. I’d bet on the latter given that Google will likely bring over the camera bar – specifically the Fold’s design – to maintain visual continuity. That would set it apart from other foldables where the two camera lenses are just slightly elevated from the surface or bottom of the cover screen. Hopefully, such a bar would not be too tall and interfere with tapping and, more importantly, typing.
An idea totally out of left field would be if the Pixel Flip wasn’t square-ish when closed, but rather more rectangular, like a deck of cards. Making it a miniature phone would make app compatibility – more on that below – slightly easier and set the Google offering apart. Meanwhile, this would allow for two full apps when multitasking on the inner foldable screen.
Like the Samsung W2017, but all touchscreen
A Pixel Flip having a different shape that allows for more multitasking also has interesting implications for how it fits in the product lineup. The Pixel Fold clearly sits at the top of Google’s hardware family. I’d imagine a straightforward Pixel version of the Z Flip 5 and Razr+ to definitely be positioned above the A-Series as an alternative to the smaller flagship. However, something that was better suited for multitasking could easily be presented as being above the regular Pixel or even the Pro model.
Apps…
Up next is what Google will decide to put on a potential Pixel Flip’s cover screen. Existing Android apps have proven quite versatile on a 1:1 display, which you can easily test today by entering split screen. Many of these square experiences feel mostly fine, while others, like Google Home, that switch to a navigation rail are pretty great.
It’s surprisingly good, but ultimately it’s not optimized and I wonder if Android is looking to eventually offer design guidelines for flip cover screens. The downside is how this would add yet another form factor for developers. While the inner screens of folds benefited from large screen work aimed at tablets, this optimization drive would be more niche.
…widgets
The other solution is relying on widgets, which Google gave a tacit endorsement to on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The Google Finance widget that was first announced for tablets appears on Samsung’s new foldable. Rich interactive Material You widgets could be the solution here, with work also benefiting phone and tablet homescreens. Creating one is less work than optimizing a full app, while Google cover screen widgets could presumably come to other flips.
In terms of how the Pixel software team leaves its mark on the experience, I can very easily see the default being a mixture of the time/date with At a Glance suggestions.
More broadly, the question is whether flip cover screens are meant for quick interactions or whether they can do everything. The release of a Pixel Flip would very clearly reveal what the Android team thinks, if not start all other OEMs on a path towards standardization. There are some design similarities between all the current takes, but it’s pretty disparate.
The work on Android done for a Pixel Flip would presumably set out a foundation for other OEMs to build on instead of having to do everything themselves. For example, Google could introduce consistency to what a swipe left/right/up/down does. Swiping down for quick settings is good, but notifications might not necessarily fit. Android could take inspiration from Wear OS in that regard with a swipe up for that feed, while left/right lets you swipe through widgets/Tiles. A shared navigation system would be great for owners of both devices.
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