CNBC says the Pixel Fold will launch in June for $1,700+

Will the Pixel Fold ever exist? There is an increasing chorus from the rumor mill saying that Google's first foldable phone will launch at Google's I/O conference in May. The latest rumor is from CNBC's Jennifer Elias, who says the device will be announced at I/O and go on sale sometime in June, with a price that's "upward of $1,700." An earlier report from WinFuture also pegged the Pixel Fold with a June release date.

The report is based on internal photos and documents seen by CNBC and details many of the specs we've seen in previous rumors: There's a 7.6-inch inner display, a 5.8-inch outer display, and Google's Tensor G2 chip. The phone reportedly weighs 10 oz, or 283 g, which is heavier than a Galaxy Fold 4. One surprise spec is water resistance, which no foldable vendor other than Samsung ever attempts.

The report quotes an internal document saying that the phone has “the most durable hinge on a foldable." Durability is the primary problem with foldables, but most worries center on the display, so focusing on the hinge would be an interesting marketing strategy. Even Samsung, which is on its fourth generation of these devices, can't stop the display from dying right along the display crease. Complaints about the hinges do exist, though. At any given time, the front page of the Galaxy Fold subreddit is about 50 percent complaints about broken displays and 10 percent about broken hinges.