What is said to be a Google foldable phone prototype appears to have been put up for sale online and gives us an insight into the development process of the Google Pixel Fold.
Android tipster Mishaal Rahman saw the list and posted the images, taken from eBay, on X, They show off a device codenamed 'Jumbojack', believed to be one of Google's first two foldable phone prototypes; the other was supposedly called “Passport.”
The experimental phones were likely created to test Android running on a foldable phone before Google proceeds with the Pixel Fold, which debuted in 2023.
The post shows what looks like a modified one. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 with Android 12L, a variant of Android 12 designed for tablets and foldable devices.
Rahman wrote in his post on The hardware is Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, while the software is Android 12L. “Someone naughty put this up for sale online.”
The strange code name is believed to be a reference to American fast food retailer Jack in the Box's Jumbo Jack cheeseburger, according to 9to5Googlewhich first learned of the prototype's existence in 2021. At the time the codename was believed to be a reference to a clamshell design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Jumbojack appears to be something of a Frankenstein mix of components, including thicker top and bottom bezels, which look more like the Pixel Fold's final design than the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Considering this, there could be other modifications under the hood as well. . Depending on what Google was testing, it may have been omitted from the final version of the Pixel Fold.
It is supposedly a “jumbojack”, a prototype that Google used to test the Android software experience on foldable devices before having working Pixel Fold prototypes. The hardware is Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, while the software is Android 12L. Someone naughty put this up for sale online👿 pic.twitter.com/9GbTWj1CU4February 14, 2024
Rahman mentioned that the phone was listed on eBay, but not for how much it was selling for, and the listing appears to have disappeared. It's probably best to avoid it, though, as it could be a stolen prototype and Google would probably shut down remotely as a result.
The phone also wouldn't have much value to anyone other than collectors, and would likely feature less functionality than the Pixel Fold due to its older and possibly unfinished hardware and software.
Jumbojack is an interesting piece of technology history that was never really intended for use or to see the light of day outside of Google. And if we look closer, we can't deduce any clues about what to expect from the rumored Google Pixel Fold 2.
Speaking of which, it's been hinted that the second-generation Pixel Fold could arrive at the same time as the much-rumored Google Pixel 9. This is because Google is apparently hoping to equip its next foldable phone with a powerful G4 tensioner chip to help it compete with other chipsets like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, as found in the OnePlus 12.
An updated Pixel Fold could end up as one of our top picks for best foldable phonesvery similar to its predecessor.
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