Google’s new Pixel lineup has another member, and this one still bends the rules a bit.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold has been announced as Google’s latest foldable phone, bringing a lighter and thinner design, brighter displays, a reworked hinge, faster charging, Tensor G6, and several features built specifically around its dual-screen form factor. It joins the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL as part of Google’s newest generation of smartphones. The Pixel Watch 5 also makes its debut as well.
Pre-orders are open now, with retail availability scheduled for August 20.
A Lighter, Thinner Foldable
Google says the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is nearly 10% lighter and about 1mm thinner than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which should make a meaningful difference for a device meant to function as both a phone and a small tablet.
The new model has slimmer bezels and comes in Obsidian and Olive.
Google has carried its new HiLight system over to the Fold, placing colored LED lights around the camera flash. HiLight can provide color-coded notifications for incoming calls from selected contacts and display different light patterns during hands-free Gemini interactions. Google plans to add support for message notifications from favorite contacts later.
Google Reworks The Hinge And Displays
Durability gets a large share of the attention this year. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold retains an IP68 dust and water protection rating, and Google has switched to a new glass-fiber composite back cover. The company says that material is designed to resist cracking better than the previous generation.
A new gearless hinge protects the inner display and increases the bend radius, while a thicker inner glass layer is intended to improve crease performance. The outer Super Actua display uses ceramic cover glass.
Google claims the complete design is three times more durable than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, based on internal testing of pre-production hardware.
Both displays reach 3,600 nits and are 20% brighter than the previous Fold, according to Google.
Faster Charging And Tensor G6
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold supports 30W wired charging, with Google claiming a 50% charge takes about 30 minutes when using its 45W USB-C charger.
Wireless charging has been bumped to 25W Qi2.2, which Google says is 20% faster than its previous-generation Fold. Battery life is rated at more than 24 hours under Google’s testing conditions.
Inside, the phone runs on Google Tensor G6 with 16GB of RAM. The chip powers the same broader Gemini features found throughout the Pixel 11 family, but Google has a few Fold-specific ideas for using that extra screen space.
The Big Screen Gets More Useful
One of the more interesting additions is sign-to-text translation, developed in partnership with the Deaf community.
Users can sign American Sign Language toward the front-facing camera using one or two hands, with translated text appearing on the outer display through Live Transcribe and Gboard. The Fold’s tabletop-style positioning means it can remain stationary during a conversation.
Multitasking gets some attention, too. Apps can now be turned into bubbles that remain accessible in the lower-right corner of the unfolded display.
Existing Fold features return, including Drag and Drop, Split Screen, Instant View, and Made You Look, with Google adding two new animations for the latter.
A New 48MP Camera Joins The Fold
The camera system includes a new 48-megapixel main camera along with a telephoto camera supporting up to 30x Super Zoom.
Pixel 11 series features such as Magic Capture and Camera Looks are included here, giving users new tools for capturing moving subjects and applying customizable visual treatments to photos.
Availability
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is available for pre-order now and reaches stores on August 20.
Google has not included pricing in the supplied announcement materials, so that detail remains absent here rather than filled in with an educated guess. The company is pairing the phone with a new Pixel 11 Pro Fold case featuring an integrated hinge cover for added protection.
