Google's first folding phone got a lot right, but still flopped

A new hands-on look at the original Pixel Fold, Google's first phone that opens up into a small tablet, finds that many of its design choices still hold up in 2026. Android Authority also calls the phone a flop. The review's point is that a product can get a lot right and still not succeed.

Why an old phone still matters

Google's later folding phones build on this first model. That means the lessons from the original carry forward. What it got right is likely to show up in newer devices. What held it back is a warning for buyers and for the company.

For anyone thinking about a folding phone, an older model is a useful test case. Time has passed, so it is easier to see which features actually matter in daily use and which were mostly hype at launch.

What is not known

The material available for this story is brief. It does not list which design choices held up, and it does not explain why the phone failed. It also gives no sales figures, prices or battery results.

Those details would help a buyer decide. Until the full review is read, the safe takeaway is the general one: Google's first foldable was better than its reputation suggests, and newer models carry its ideas forward.

• Product: the original Pixel Fold, Google's first folding phone
• Review: Android Authority, using it in 2026
• Finding: strong design, but still a failure