🎮 Happy Friday everyone! Yesterday was a big one for gamers with The Game Awards crowning Elden Ring as the Game of the Year. More on that after the latest about Google’s mysterious foldable device.

Pixel Fold 360 renders break surface

Folding devices have been dominated by Samsung for years, and many are waiting for Google’s official hardware to serve as a guiding light for the future of the tech. Now, thanks to a leak of 3D CAD designs, we can get a full look at what the Pixel Fold will likely look like.

• The new renders largely match leaks from last month but include more details.
• For example, a clear look at the internal screen reveals hefty bezels, but no facial recognition sensors.
• In other words, the Pixel 4’s 3D face unlock tech will not be making a return any time soon.
• We also got full measurements of the device both while folded and unfolded.
• The supposed dimensions are 158.7 x 139.7 x 5.7mm, which makes it far wider than existing foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Oppo Find N.
• Check out our visualization below.

• The Pixel Fold is also quite a bit thinner than other foldables, although the camera bump adds 2.6mm of thickness on the top.
• Regardless of the size, the most interesting thing to see will be the software and unique features, which are still a mystery.
• With the Galaxy Z Flip 4‘s flip phone-style foldables dominating the market, it’s also hard to imagine this device having a big impact.
• This will be especially true if previous leaked prices of $1,800+ turn out to be true.
• It’s also worth noting that Oppo will be unveiling its latest foldables next week at its Inno Day 2022.
• Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see Google’s take on foldables, even if it is a few years late to the market.

Roundup

🙌 Speaking of Pixels, a new Google Camera update revives a key Pixel feature for older phones (Android Authority).

📱 Motorola announced its latest budget Moto G Play (2023), launching on January 12 in the US and Canada (Android Authority).

🧑‍💻 Google Chrome is about to get less power and memory hungry (Android Authority).

📩 Not sure what the best way to transfer files between your PC and phone is? Here’s how everyone else is doing it (Android Authority).

🤔 That’s one way to solve it… Twitter Blue will reportedly cost $11 in App Store so Musk can avoid Apple fees (Arstechnica).

😨 On that note, The Verge interviewed Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, and he notes that “every politician should fear” Apple’s power (The Verge).

🗺️ Google merges its Waze and Maps teams in its latest cost-cutting measure (Android Authority).

🚫 Bad news for Roku device owners: You can’t get the cheaper Disney Plus with ads plan (Android Authority).

🍿 Need some weekend watching? Here are the best new streaming movies of the week, including Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Android Authority).

🧑‍⚖️ The FTC is suing Microsoft to block its Activision Blizzard purchase, largely due to Sony’s complaints (The Verge).

Friday Fun

As mentioned in the intro, yesterday was the annual Game Awards, with prizes for the best releases and ongoing titles of the year. You can check out the full list of winners here, but here’s a quick version:

• Elden Ring took Game of the Year, beating out God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West.
• MMO Final Fantasy XIV won Best Ongoing Game, beating Genshin Impact.
• Genshin Impact did take home the Player’s Voice award, narrowly edging out Sonic Frontiers.
• The Best Mobile Game went to Marvel Snap over Genshin Impact, Diablo Immortal, and Apex Legends Mobile.
• There were also a ton of new game announcements, from a Dune MMO to a Hades sequel. Check those out here.

Looking for more game recommendations? Check out our favorite mobile games, PS5 games, Xbox Series X/S games, and PC games!

Keep gaming,
Nick Fernandez, Editor.