The Google Pixel Fold might be called the Pixel…Notepad?

In a move that looks likely to happen, the device we’ve been colloquially referring to as the Pixel Fold may be going by a completely different name: the Pixel Notepad. Yep, that’s really what it might go by. While I’m already not a fan of this naming, I can kind of see what Google might be thinking, here. With a device that opens up like a pocketable notepad, you need a name that denotes this. With Samsung already owning the ‘fold’ nomenclature, I’m sure Google wanted to go in a direction that could differentiate them a bit. Hence, Notepad.

For now, this is a rumor, so treat it as such. The report comes via 9to5 Google and is from a source that they feel is quite reliable. It is worth noting that the Notepad naming is a working branding, so things could shift as we approach an actual announcement on the device.

It is interesting that Google is considering this Notepad name, however, as there’s been no previous mention of a stylus or pen solution. While Samsung did make a specialized S Pen for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it seems hard to fathom that Google will launch its first folding-screen phone with pen support out of the gate. While I’d love to see a USI pen working with the Pixel Notepad, I’m not holding my breath. Flexible glass screens are fragile and as we’ve seen with other devices like this, a standard stylus just doesn’t work will with the scratch-prone screen.

Pricing could be low as well

As Google has found in their last few phones, customers like affordable stuff. The Pixel 4a sold like crazy, the Pixel 5a is heralded as one of the best values in Android, and the Pixel 6 won MKBHD’s Value Award in his yearly Smartphone Awards video. Google’s found success in keeping the price lower than expected, and it turns out this new Pixel Notepad is expected to follow in those footsteps.

Again, according to the source for 9to5 Google, the Pixel Notepad will undercut what we see from similar devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 3. How affordable it will be remains to be seen, but the fact that Google is trying to launch a new form factor and undercut the price point Samsung has slowly dropped to over the course of 3 generations is very encouraging. With what will likely be limited availability at launch (similar to the Pixel 4a according to the same source), this could be a very interesting device that we should officially see in some capacity in the coming months.

In case you need a refresher, we’ve talked about the Pixel Notepad quite a bit. You can check out the leaks of its more-square form factor here or the updates to Android 12L that look squarely aimed at Google’s new handset here. With all these tidbits of info coming out, we’re hopeful that some renders might finally leak soon, or, even better, that Google will simply announce the phone themselves as they did with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro well before the actual launch event. Until then, we wait.