[News] Google’s Hardware Play: AI in Focus, Flip-Style Foldable and Tablet Can Wait

Google just unveiled its latest Pixel 10 series. According to TechNews, citing Bloomberg, the company said it currently has no plans to launch a flip-style foldable and that its tablet project remains on hold.

Pixel Design, AI Push, and Flip-Style Foldables on Hold

Google’s design chief, Ivy Ross, said major visual changes will continue to appear every two to three years in its phones, adding that the company is already finalizing its 2026 phones and has begun developing the 2027 lineup, according to the report.

As the report underscores, Google emphasizes that true progress will come less from hardware form and more from the software and connected devices that run alongside it. The report also highlights that AI is now positioned at the heart of Google’s product lineup. Alongside the Pixel 10, the company also introduced a new smartwatch and entry-level earbuds, both powered by Gemini.

When it comes to foldables, Shakil Barkat, who became Google’s devices and services chief last year, said the company—like many consumers—remains dissatisfied with the crease that still appears in the middle of the screen. In addition, though partners Samsung and Motorola have jumped into flip-style phones—where the screen folds vertically like the classic Razr—Google has made clear it will not join that competition, as the report highlights.

TrendForce’s latest investigation indicates that Apple’s first foldable device, expected in the second half of 2026, will lift foldable phone penetration from 1.6% in 2025 to over 3% in 2027.

Google’s Future Vision: Glasses in Focus

For now, the company suggests that people won’t carry much more than a phone—whatever its form—as every additional product category only adds to the user’s maintenance burden, the report notes. Still, Bloomberg highlights that Google sees potential in emerging categories such as glasses. On glasses, Bloomberg notes, citing company executives, that it remains “TBD” whether Google will release them again, but they stressed the category might play a role in the company’s future.

Read more

• [News] Google Teams Up with Alibaba-backed Xreal for Project Aura, Second Android XR Device
• Standardized Hinges and Apple’s Entry Expected to Push Foldable Phone Penetration Beyond 3% by 2027, Says TrendForce

(Photo credit: Google)