The folks at WinFuture got their hands on the leaked retail information, which gives us a good idea of when Google’s next smartphones will arrive. Although previous leaks for the Pixel Fold — which the site confirms is its official name — suggested a fall launch date with the Pixel 8, that no longer appears to be the plan. Instead, Google’s first foldable will arrive on store shelves sometime in mid-June, just a month after an expected I/O reveal.
A summer launch makes sense as the Fold is rumored to be powered by Google’s Tensor G2 chip. Arriving in stores alongside a G3-powered Pixel 8 would make for odd timing. Currently, the Pixel Fold is only listed with a 256GB SKU, though we wouldn’t rule out higher storage options.
Google’s second mid-year smartphone, the Pixel 7a, is set to arrive within the same June window. That’s a little less surprising since it’s a smack in the usual timeframe for A-series products. WinFuture says it will come in Carbon, Cotton and Arctic Blue. The first two colors are basically black/grey and white options, but it’s the arctic blue color that has our attention. We can only hope it lives up to the “Really Blue” variant of the original Pixel, but either way, we’re excited.
WinFuture also says it has spotted a jade-colored case for the Pixel 7a, suggesting a matching hue for the smartphone itself. That said, this retail leak only includes the three colors mentioned above for the 7a, so hold off on any potential excitement for now. As usual, we’re looking at one 128GB SKU with a rumored starting price of 500 euros.
Meanwhile, 9to5Google managed to back up this information with its own report. In addition to confirming this leaked retail information, the site discovered first-party cases for the Fold in Haze Midtone, Porcelain, and Sky. Three case choices for two smartphone colors could prove that the Pixel 7’s potential Jade color is an accessory exclusive, but we’ll have to wait for an official announcement — or, let’s be real, more leaks — to find out with security. 9to5Google says the recently leaked blue Pixel Buds A-Series are also timed for this launch window, a perfect match for the Pixel 7a.
That’s plenty of gadgets to look forward to in a post-I/O world, even with the Pixel tablet discounted. We also got an early look at Pixel 8 Pro renders today, and if history is any indication, we’ll likely see Google’s next flagship smartphone teased on stage in May. Either way, it’s looking like a busy 2023 in the Pixel world, and we’re only a few months away from kicking things off.