Google patent hints at foldable device in the works – Times of India

That Google is working on its own foldable device has long been rumoured but a recently filed patent has helped to add a little credence to the rumours. A recently published patent by the US tech giant, filed at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) last year, has revealed that there is a plan being formulated by the company for its own foldable device, says a report by Android Authority (via 91Mobiles).
The patent (PCT/US2021/039591) is dated June 2021 and describes a ‘foldable device with bezel located camera’.
As per the report, the patent drawings showcase a phone that could be said to be inspired by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. The foldable may have a tablet-like form, much like the older Samsung flagship.
The major inference from the drawings, however, is the location of the front camera in the device. Google’s foldable device may have thicker bezels when compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 to help accommodate a selfie shooter on the frame itself, in the top bezel of the device. That means that the front camera would not steal any area from the internal display.
This placement of the selfie camera in the device was claimed by Digital Chat Station earlier when the leaker said that Google has prototyped an ‘ultra-micro-hole camera’ that would just fit on the frame of its foldable device, instead of being an under-display camera as in the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Also evident from the drawings is that Google is experimenting with several front-facing camera variants to find the best design for its foldable device.
As per earlier rumours, Google may name the device the Pixel Notepad or Pixel Fold, or go with some other moniker. The company’s next big hardware launch is going to be the Pixel 7 series, which may be unveiled in October.