Now that the Pixel Fold is out there and official, it’s time to talk about pre-orders. With solid-looking hardware, some really interesting tricks, and a form factor we’ve never had in a Google-made Pixel phone up to this point, the Pixel Fold has a lot going for it. And judging by the crowd reaction live in Mountain View, there’s a chance this device sells better than I expected.
And if that’s the case, you may or may not want to wait until it shows up later at your mobile provider to snag one. We know it will make its way to at least the big three carriers – T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon – sometime in June, but beyond that we don’t know about pre-order perks or trade-in options that will be available from those carriers until closer to launch. Verizon has at least said they will take pre-orders starting June 20th, but no other details from AT&T or T-Mobile have emerged.
So, that leaves the Google Store as the only place to turn for a pre-order that you can lock down right now. And the great thing about going Google’s own in-house route is the fact that they are throwing in a Pixel Watch (Wi-Fi model) for free right now if you get your pre-order completed. That’s a $349 value and you can try your hand at a trade-in as well, though the Google Store is a bit stingy in that regard with Android phones. They only offer $380 for a perfect condition Pixel 7 Pro, but $950 for the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max. Go figure.
Even with a smaller trade-in value, if you add that to the $349 value of the Pixel Watch (assuming you were wanting one to begin with), I guess it’s not a terrible deal. At $1799, this is an expensive phone/tablet, so I’m still unsure how many of these will be flying off shelves without some serious mobile carrier incentives. But if you have your heart set on one right now, this is a sure way to stake your claim. At least as long as supplies last, that is.