New report says Google’s folding Pixel Notepad may arrive in Q1 2023

As we enter the last few weeks in the lead up to Google’s fall hardware event (slated for Thursday, October 6th 2022), we still have some questions about what we’ll eventually get to see. Sure, we know the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Watch and some new Nest hardware (possibly to include a new Chromecast) will make an appearance, but what about those fringe devices? Will we get more info on the Pixel Tablet, the oft-rumored Pixel 7 Ultra or foldable Pixel Notepad?

As it turns out, some new news has emerged on the Pixel Notepad front that has us hopeful for at least a sneak peek at Google’s October event and a possible launch early in 2023. Thanks to a tweet from industry insider Ross Young, it seems Google is all set to begin actual production on the Pixel Notepad in the next few months, leading Young to assume a March launch.

4 months till the foldable Pixel smartphone starts panel production. Are you excited? I am assuming it will launch in March.

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) September 6, 2022

Not stealing the Pixel 7’s thunder

This timeline makes a lot of sense in light of the upcoming Pixel 7 event. It seems almost impossible that Google could keep the lid on the Pixel Notepad as we near the October 6th time frame for Google’s new hardware showcase, and it would make little sense to not go ahead and launch it at this event if it was on the roadmap and coming soon. Clearly, the Pixel Notepad isn’t really ready to fully unveil at this point.

Instead, it makes far more sense that Google is perhaps looking at an unveiling early in 2023 when we’re far enough out from the launch of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro to not steal away from the excitement and thunder that this event already possesses. A tease could be in order for sure, but the launch of this folding Pixel is definitely still down the road a bit.

Granted, none of this is final by any means, so we could still get a few things at Google’s event next month. There could be a tease of the Pixel Notepad like what we saw for the other current hardware at Google I/O in May. There could be a full reveal of the device. Or there could be absolutely no mention of it whatsoever. Google has a lot of stuff to cover on October 6th, so I’m not hanging my hopes on any of those options at this point.

Why a tease of the Pixel Notepad could happen

With Google’s recent penchant for outing their own hardware ahead of time here in 2022, however, I do feel like at least a quick sneak peek of the Pixel Notepad makes sense at the October 6th event. This device doesn’t really compete directly with the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, so a tease of it at the event wouldn’t overshadow the launch of Google’s new phones very much.

At the end of the day, the audience for a folding phone that costs north of $1000 isn’t the same audience that would be interested in an $899 Pixel 7 Pro. Unlike the rumored Pixel 7 Ultra, the Pixel Notepad simply occupies a bit of a different space in Google’s hardware lineup. Or at least it will when it does eventually launch.

While Ross Young is assuming March, I could also see a launch happening a little sooner than that. Google isn’t prone to launching new hardware at CES, but their presence there is growing each year. Perhaps a soft launch and pre-order period could happen at that event with the phone becoming generally available in February. That would definitely make for a great CES this year!

Either way, I really hope we get an official word from Google soon. The latest folding phone to capture the imagination is the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 with it’s insane thinness, ability to fold completely flat when closed, and more-standard sized outer display, this device rekindles in me (and many others, I assume) the interest and gravity that folding phones evoke. I’m really ready to go with one of them as my daily driver, and I’m really interested in one that comes packed with Google’s take on Android. Hopefully we’ll hear more soon.