For years, the crease in a foldable phone's display has been a quiet admission that the technology was still becoming itself. Now, as Apple arrives with a crease-less foldable and competitors like Oppo and Samsung follow suit, Google has signaled that its Pixel 12 Pro Fold will join this new standard — partnering with Samsung Display to bring dual-layer ultra-thin glass to its next flagship. The foldable phone is no longer a curiosity; it is becoming a canvas, and the industry is racing to make that canvas seamless.
Google's Pixel 12 Pro Fold to adopt crease-less display technology
Google's foldable is noticeably behind as competitors go all-in on crease-less displays
Mark
So Google is finally ditching the crease. Why did it take this long?
Mimi
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold works, but it's visibly behind what Samsung, Oppo, and Honor have already shipped. When your competitors have solved a problem and yours still has it, you look like you're not trying.
Luke
Though we should note—the Pixel 11 still doesn't pass bend tests cleanly. This is about catching up on display aesthetics, not durability.
Mark
What makes the dual-UTG approach different from what Oppo is doing?
Mimi
Samsung's using a titanium plate under the OLED. Oppo filled the crease with liquid 3D printing and thicker glass. Same goal, different engineering paths.
Luke
And we don't know yet which approach actually feels better in hand or lasts longer. These are all first-generation implementations of crease-less tech.
Mark
When does Google's version actually ship?
Mimi
Second half of 2027, probably August. Oppo and Vivo get there first, in the first half.
Luke
So Google will be entering a market where the technology is already proven by competitors. That's not ideal positioning, but it's not fatal either.
Mark
Is Samsung Display the only supplier who can do this?
Mimi
The report says Google, Oppo, and Vivo are all working with Samsung Display specifically. That suggests Samsung has the capability locked down, at least for now.
Luke
It's worth noting we don't have confirmation from Google or Samsung Display themselves yet. This is reporting from The Elec, which is reliable on display tech but still one source.
The Pulse
- The crease — long the foldable phone's most visible flaw — is now a competitive liability that no major manufacturer can afford to ignore.
- Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold already looks dated beside crease-less rivals from Oppo, Honor, and Samsung, creating pressure to close the gap decisively.
- Google is working directly with Samsung Display on dual-UTG assemblies, the same supplier and technology underpinning Apple's debut foldable iPhone.
- Oppo and Vivo are targeting H1 2027 launches, meaning Google's expected H2 2027 release will enter a market where the technology has already been proven and normalized.
- Samsung Display is emerging as the central supplier powering this industry-wide shift, customizing dual-UTG solutions for each manufacturer in the race.
For years, the crease in a foldable phone's display has been a quiet admission that the technology was still becoming itself. Now, as Apple arrives with a crease-less foldable and competitors like Oppo and Samsung follow suit, Google has signaled that its Pixel 12 Pro Fold will join this new standard — partnering with Samsung Display to bring dual-layer ultra-thin glass to its next flagship. The foldable phone is no longer a curiosity; it is becoming a canvas, and the industry is racing to make that canvas seamless.
Apple's first foldable iPhone is arriving with a feature the industry has long chased: a display without a crease. Google, unwilling to fall further behind, is preparing to match it. According to reporting from The Elec, the Pixel 12 Pro Fold will use the same dual-layer ultra-thin glass (UTG) technology, supplied by Samsung Display — the same partnership powering Apple's foldable.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a capable device, but capability alone no longer distinguishes a product in this field. Oppo, Honor, and Samsung have already committed to crease-less displays, leaving Google's current generation visibly behind — the kind of gap that reviewers and consumers notice immediately.
Google's answer is a direct one: dual-UTG assemblies built in collaboration with Samsung Display, with one glass layer above the OLED panel and one beneath it. Oppo and Vivo are making the same pivot, each receiving customized assemblies from Samsung Display. The engineering paths differ — Samsung uses a titanium plate beneath the panel, Oppo employs liquid 3D printing to fill the crease — but the destination is the same: a fold that disappears.
Timing, however, is a complication. Oppo and Vivo are targeting the first half of 2027; Google's Pixel 12 Pro Fold is expected in the second half, likely August. By then, consumers will have already seen and handled crease-less foldables from multiple brands. It is a position Google has navigated before — arriving after the moment, but with the resources to reframe it.
Apple's first foldable iPhone is arriving in days, and it will do something the industry has been chasing for years: eliminate the crease. Google, it turns out, is not content to lag behind. According to reporting from The Elec, the company's next flagship foldable—the Pixel 12 Pro Fold—will adopt the same crease-less display technology that Apple is bringing to market, using dual-layer ultra-thin glass (UTG) supplied by Samsung Display.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a competent device. It folds, it works, it exists in a crowded field. But competence is not enough when your competitors have moved decisively ahead. Oppo, Honor, and Samsung have all committed to crease-less displays on their recent foldables, leaving Google's current generation looking visibly dated by comparison. The gap is not subtle—it's the kind of thing reviewers notice, the kind of thing that shapes how people perceive a product in their hands.
Google's response is a significant one. The company is working directly with Samsung Display to build dual-UTG assemblies for the Pixel 12 Pro Fold, with one layer of ultra-thin glass sitting above the display and another beneath it, supporting the OLED panel underneath. Samsung Display is customizing these assemblies to the specifications of each device it's supplying—because Google is not alone in this pivot. Oppo and Vivo are also adopting the same dual-UTG approach, all three companies betting that Samsung Display's technology is the path forward.
The engineering solutions differ slightly across manufacturers. Samsung achieved its crease-less result by placing a special titanium plate beneath the OLED panel, while Oppo took a different approach, using liquid 3D printing to fill the crease area and create a continuous surface, paired with thicker glass. These are distinct technical choices, but they're all aimed at the same goal: a display that folds without a visible seam.
Timing matters in this race. Oppo and Vivo are both planning releases in the first half of 2027, getting their crease-less foldables to market earlier. Google's Pixel 12 Pro Fold will arrive in the second half of the year—likely August, following the company's established schedule. That means Google will be entering a market where competitors have already demonstrated the technology works, where consumers have already seen it in person, where the expectation has already shifted. It's a position Google has occupied before, and it's not always a disadvantage. But it is a choice to follow rather than lead.
Notable Quotes
Google, Oppo, and Vivo are all working with Samsung Display to adopt dual-UTG displays for their next-gen foldables— The Elec reporting
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