The Pixel 12 Leak Says Google Is Trimming Its Screens and Supersizing the Fold
Four Pixel 12 models leaked in the GSMA database. Three get slightly shorter screens, while the Pixel 12 Pro Fold gets about 24% more pixels inside.
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Google’s Pixel 11 lineup is only a couple of months old, and its successor is already showing up in paperwork.
Four model numbers have surfaced in the GSMA IMEI database, first reported by OVR+ and picked up by 9to5Google and Notebookcheck: GC0QU for the Pixel 12, GWU59 for the Pixel 12 Pro, G7U1Y for the Pixel 12 Pro XL and G4D5D for the Pixel 12 Pro Fold. The entries also list display resolutions, and those say more than the names do.
Three phones lose a few rows of pixels
The regular Pixel 12, the Pro and the Pro XL all keep this year’s horizontal resolution but drop some vertical pixels. Here is how the leaked numbers compare with the current models.
| Model | Pixel 11 resolution | Pixel 12 resolution (leaked) | Change in total pixels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base model | 1,080 x 2,424 | 1,080 x 2,400 | -1.0% |
| Pro | 1,280 x 2,856 | 1,280 x 2,824 | -1.1% |
| Pro XL | 1,344 x 2,992 | 1,344 x 2,952 | -1.3% |
| Pro Fold (inner screen) | 2,076 x 2,152 | 2,296 x 2,404 | +23.5% |
A one percent drop in pixels won’t make anything look softer. What it probably changes is shape. Keep the width, trim the height, and you end up with a slightly shorter, wider-looking screen. “A new aspect ratio usually means a reshaped body,” Smartprix noted, and we agree that this reads like a deliberate design tweak rather than a cost cut.
Treat that as an educated guess. A resolution doesn’t tell you the panel’s physical size, its bezels or the phone’s dimensions, and database entries this early can change before launch.
The Fold is where Google is spending
The real upgrade is on the foldable. The Pixel 12 Pro Fold’s inner display is listed at 2,296 x 2,404, up from 2,076 x 2,152 on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. That works out to roughly 24 percent more pixels, a jump that suggests a bigger or denser main screen. The Fold is also rumored to get a new crease-less display assembly.
Just as telling is what Google isn’t doing. Samsung went wide with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Honor reportedly has its own wide foldable coming in January. The Pixel 12 Pro Fold’s numbers keep a near-square inner screen, close to 1:1. Notebookcheck put it plainly: Google is “refining its current foldable design rather than moving to a wider format.”
That is a defensible bet. A near-square screen is great for running two apps side by side, and it doesn’t make the closed phone awkwardly short. It does mean Google is sitting out the trend that reviewers have liked most this year.
Android 18 out of the box
All four phones are listed as shipping with Android 18. That fits Google’s yearly rhythm, where new Pixels debut the next version of Android. The filing says nothing about the Tensor chip, the cameras or prices, so anyone quoting Pixel 12 pricing right now is guessing.
What this means if you’re shopping now
If you were thinking about holding off on a Pixel 11 or Pixel 11 Pro for a screen upgrade, this leak gives you no reason to wait. The slab phones are getting a reshape, not a better display on paper.
Foldable shoppers have a harder call. A sharper inner screen and a possible crease-less panel are exactly the upgrades that make a $1,000-plus foldable feel finished. If you can live with your current phone for another year, the Pixel 12 Pro Fold looks like the one worth waiting for.
Sources: 9to5Google, Notebookcheck, Smartprix. Photo by Amanz on Unsplash.
Harish
I am the founder of androidcaptain.com, a tech graduate and writes which covers android, smartphones, apps, software, and the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence. I focus on breaking down new technologies, exploring useful features, and helping readers understand how their devices and software can work better for them.
