AI Foldable Phone?

Since the iPhone 4 "leaked" in a bar, "spy shots" have become a staple before the release of flagship phones. After all, there are too many steps from design to launch, and there are always areas where brand confidentiality agreements cannot cover. This "real flagship only leaks" approach has even influenced the marketing methods of the mobile phone industry, with many brands starting to release "official warm-up" promotional materials before phone launches to generate buzz for the new devices.

Of course, there are also some "unlucky" brands that are always hacked before key press conferences, exposing new phone data, such as the Google Pixel series. Since its inception, the Pixel phone exposure history has been glorious, with almost every generation of Pixel widely exposed before its official release, from hardware design to software features, to market pricing, all becoming hot topics among tech media and consumers.

Image Source: Pixel

The earliest generation of Pixel and Pixel XL already had detailed leaked information before their release, including design drawings, configuration parameters, and highlights of the operating system. Subsequent generations of Pixel phones, such as Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, were no exception. Months before their release, hands-on videos of test units were rampant on YouTube.

The Pixel 3 series was even called one of the "most leaked" phones in history. In the months leading up to its release, information about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL was almost all-encompassing, from high-definition real photos to complete unboxing videos, and even Google's official cases and accessories were exposed early. Nevertheless, Google still brought many surprises to the audience at the conference, especially in software features and camera technology innovations.

In recent generations of Pixel phones, including the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 series, the exposure of hardware configuration and design issues remains severe. However, in recent years, Google has started to shift the focus of Pixel towards AI and software services, and the impact of "hardware leaks" has gradually decreased.

For example, in July 2024, Google directly "officially leaked" by releasing "official large images" of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold on the Google Store, essentially "giving up" on the idea of keeping secrets.

Not Outstanding Hardware Configuration

Of course, Google's "giving up" was merely to reveal the appearance of the two phones, and for the actual hardware configuration, Google chose to continue "keeping secrets" until August 13. However, just because Google doesn't reveal it doesn't mean everyone doesn't know. According to existing leaked information, the Google Pixel 9 series will offer four models: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In simpler terms, these are the equivalent of the common "medium cup, large cup, super large cup," and foldable screen phones found in domestic brands.

Among them, the Pixel 9 features a 6.1-inch 1080P+ 120Hz screen, uses the fourth-generation Google Tensor processor, and offers 8+128GB and 8+256GB storage options, with a rear dual-camera module. The Pixel 9 Pro sports a 6.5-inch 1080P+ 120Hz screen, also powered by the Tensor G4 processor, and features a rear triple-camera module including a periscope lens, offering 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL has the same hardware configuration as the 9 Pro, but with a larger 6.7-inch screen and also offers a 1TB storage option. Interestingly, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, despite being Google's second foldable Pixel phone, is still included directly in the Pixel 9 product line, suggesting that Google intends to make the Pixel Fold, a test product, an official part of its lineup.

In terms of appearance, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold maintains the "large rounded corners" design left by the Pixel Fold, with a large arc radius even on the smaller external screen, resulting in low area utilization. However, interestingly, in the teaser video released by Google, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold does not have an internal screen camera. If this is not an animation rendering error, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold may likely use an under-screen camera.

Image Source: Google

Furthermore, in the teaser video, Google also "demonstrated" the AI capabilities of Gemini, such as generating corresponding text based on user requests (writing a breakup letter to an old phone), showing that Google is very confident in the AI performance of the Pixel 9 series.

Image Source: Google

But the question is, can excellent AI functionality change the "all-round lagging" of Pixel phones from hardware performance to software experience?

Why is Pixel Falling Behind?

Pixel's "all-round lagging" is, in my opinion, both an internal product strategy issue and an external environment issue.

First, compared to the scale of the "former HTC team" within Google, domestic phone brands invest significantly more in personnel and technology. Taking Huawei and Xiaomi as examples, these brands have invested far more in foldable screen technology and R&D than Google. The Mate X, Mix Fold, Find N, X Fold, and Magic V have deep technical accumulations in hinge structures, and after multiple iterations, manufacturers have their own understanding of foldable screens' durability and crease handling. Naturally, the effects of these technical accumulations on the final products are much better than the Pixel Fold.

In contrast, Google's Pixel series has been relatively slow in exploring foldable screen technology. Although the Pixel series excels in camera and software optimization, it lags significantly in hardware innovation, especially in foldable screen technology. Take the Pixel Fold as an example; its "inherited thick bezels" make it seem out of place compared to domestic foldable phones.

Image Source: Xiaomi

Moreover, the optimization of user experience is a crucial factor in the success of domestic brands. Domestic brands have done a lot of work in improving user interfaces and optimizing multitasking functions. For example, Huawei's multi-window function and Xiaomi's split-screen function significantly enhance the user experience. Through continuous user feedback and improvements, these brands have made foldable screen phones not just a technological gimmick but a truly practical device.

Although the Pixel series from Google has unique strengths in Android system optimization and software experience, and has also "premiered" many new Android system features, it has invested relatively little in multitasking and split-screen functions, making the user experience of the Pixel series when using foldable screens less smooth and convenient compared to other brands.

Not to mention the mediocre hardware performance of the Google Tensor. Since its launch, the performance of the Tensor processor has been questioned. Although Google has tried to optimize the AI and machine learning capabilities of Pixel phones through customized SoCs, in actual use, the Tensor processor lags behind competitors in multi-core performance, energy consumption, and graphics processing capabilities.

Put more bluntly, Pixel, which has all-in on AI, is becoming increasingly disconnected from the hardware side.

Closed-Door Phone Making is Not Advisable

In fact, the remedy for Google Pixel's closed-door phone-making strategy is quite simple: stop being tied to the "former HTC team" and return to the era of Nexus's "contenders vying for supremacy."

Before the launch of the Pixel series, Google collaborated with multiple brands to launch the Nexus series of phones, such as Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Moto. Through these collaborations, Google not only "acquired" hardware manufacturing experience and market influence but also successfully established benchmarks for the Android ecosystem.

Image Source: Google

Of course, behind canceling the Nexus program and launching its own Pixel brand was Google's desire to incorporate its technical team and create its own high-end Android phones to compete globally with the Samsung Galaxy series. However, the problem is that the current mobile phone market is no longer under Google's control through GMS.

From hardware optimization to core algorithms to the application of AI large model technologies, the "strong software, weak hardware" approach has given enterprises within the Android camp the opportunity to compete head-on with Google. Meanwhile, Google Pixel is still immersed in the dream of "one solution fits all markets."

Of course, even if Google restarts the Nexus program, such cooperation also faces many challenges. First, maintaining brand uniqueness and product consistency in the partnership is a difficult problem. Different brands have their own design languages and user groups, and how to coordinate these differences to ensure product unity will be the first problem Google needs to solve.

Second, the distribution of benefits and control in the partnership is also a potential conflict point. Google needs to find a balance in the collaboration that allows it to leverage the advantages of its partners while maintaining core control over the product.

It is undeniable that when Google Pixel was first launched, its "software-first" strategy indeed brought a lot of freshness to the Android ecosystem, and the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 generations played a significant role in advancing Android computational photography at the time.

But in 2024, "one trick" is no longer enough to "conquer all," and when more advanced AI LLMs like GPT-4 surpass Google Gemini and become the preferred partners of phone brands, what will Pixel use to maintain its high-end positioning?

Source: Lei Technology