On Tuesday, Google detailed Android Q, the next version of its mobile operating system. One of the new additions to Android Q the company highlighted is support for foldable display smartphones.
In an interview with CNET ahead of the start of I/O, Pixel chief Mario Queiroz revealed Google’s interest in foldable smartphones isn’t limited to software support.
“We’re definitely prototyping the technology. We’ve been doing it for a long time,” said Queiroz, but, critically, added, “I don’t think there’s a clear use case yet.”
Queiroz went on to note foldable display smartphones need to offer more than only a bigger screen.
“I think it needs to be more innovative than that,” he said. “The use case is going to need to be something where you go, ‘Hey, I definitely need to have this.’ Right now, you don’t need to have a foldable. It’s kind of a ‘nice-to-have.'”
Queiroz’s comments come after what was supposed to be the first foldable display smartphone, the eye-watering expensive Galaxy Fold, missed its release date. Samsung indefinitely delayed the launch of the Galaxy Fold after the foldable display on numerous early review devices broke. Despite promising that it would share a new release date soon, as of Tuesday, the company could not provide Reuters with a revised launch date.
On the same day, Huawei told MobileSyrup it was pushing back the Canadian release of the Mate X to ensure “good” quality.
Source: CNET
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