Google doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to its first-gen products. Just look at the Pixel Watch: while a gorgeous timepiece, its poor battery life made it difficult to recommend. With that in mind, should we trust Google with its first foldable phone? Are consumers doomed to get a half-baked beta-level product with Google’s introductory stab at this type of device?

At Google I/O 2023, we had some hands-on time with that very phone, officially known as the Google Pixel Fold. Amidst all the excitement of tech journalists finally getting to use the fabled foldable, it was hard not to feel optimistic. Could this be a first-gen foldable success story for Google?