After several delays, Google finally unveiled its first foldable during its I/O keynote earlier this year. The all-new Pixel Fold is a flagship foldable with a compact, passport-like form factor similar to Oppo's Find N2. It features a custom-built multi-alloy steel hinge that lets you open the large 7.6-inch foldable display and close it completely flat, making the phone much thinner than the Find N2 and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 when folded. Interestingly, while Google says the device can also unfold flat, you might have seen early accounts of reviewers claiming it doesn't quite open a full 180 degrees.
XDA Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods also noticed this minor caveat when he first got his hands on the Pixel Fold shortly after the announcement, but Google claims that the fluid-friction hinge offers a full 180 degrees of motion. In a blog post highlighting how the hinge was designed and built, the company states that when the Pixel Fold opens, "the hinge is completely flat; it is moved entirely out of the way of the Pixel Fold's display, which is what allows the phone to be so thin." But that doesn't reveal the full picture.
What you need to know about the Pixel Fold's hinge
According to renowned tech YouTuber Michael Fisher, the Pixel Fold can unfold completely flat, but "you need to really bend it to get it there." A Google engineer revealed to Fisher that that's by design, as the high-friction hinge allows for rigid positioning at various angles and prevents the phone from unfolding flat unless you apply pressure.
Since many of you won't feel comfortable using extra force on this expensive foldable for fear of accidentally breaking something, it's safe to say that the Pixel Fold can't unfold completely flat. Even if you did manage to open it 180 degrees without damaging any components, it won't make much of a difference as the camera bar on the back panel will get in the way when you lay it on a flat surface. But that doesn't mean the Pixel Fold's design isn't as good as other book-style foldables on the market. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Oppo Find N2 also don't unfold completely flat for similar reasons. Therefore, you shouldn't let this minor quirk deter you from buying the Pixel Fold, which might end up being one of the best foldables on the market and finally bring competition to Samsung in the U.S.
Google Pixel Fold
The Google Pixel Fold is a feature-rich device with a compact form factor, flagship hardware, impressive cameras, and a phenomenal software experience.