2 min readGoogle announced two new smartphones last week, but if you were hoping for news on just when its first foldable device will make it to Australia then you’re probably due a fresh dose of disappointment.
There's still no word on when (or if) the Google Pixel Fold will ever come to Australia.
Announced back in May at Google I/O, the Google Pixel Fold combines a big and bendy tablet-sized screen with all the perks of a premium Pixel smartphone.
Google wasted little time rolling out the device overseas. However, the tech titan's first foray into foldable smartphones was only launched in a few select markets to begin with and Australia wasn't one of them. Since then, the company has remained silent about whether or if that'll change.
Asked directly for an update on the availability of the Pixel Fold and whether it would come to Australia, a Google representative told Reviews.org that the company had no updates to offer at this time.
It's plausible that Google might look to bring the Pixel Fold to Australia at a later date, but that possibility makes less and less commercial sense with each passing month. By the time it does arrive, those same Pixel fanatics who have been clamouring for it might as well wait for the almost inevitable Pixel Fold 2.
It's unclear whether the debut of the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro was ever really an opportunity to announce wider availability for the Pixel Fold, but it's certainly a missed one now. At this point, the odds of Google's first foldable making a late debut on Australian shores seem slimmer than ever.
As always, there's little stopping those who don't want to wait from importing the Pixel Fold via a grey market reseller or a shopping website like eBay. Unfortunately, even that workaround has its caveats. Reviews of the Pixel Fold have been generally positive, but there have also been plenty of reports suggesting that the durability side of the device has some real room for improvement.
If that specific shortcoming has you worried, you might be better served by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Depending on the provider you go with, it might even end up cheaper than importing a Pixel Fold. You can find a round-up of the cheapest plans for that device below.
