The ever-rumored Google Pixel Fold is looking more and more likely to appear this year, and a number of other foldable phones could join it.

This is according to a report by The Elec, which claims inside information on a group of cell phone brands that use ultra-thin glasses (UTG) in their foldable handsets. These phones are reportedly the so-called Pixel Fold, the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 2, Oppo and Vivo foldable phones, and an Honor phone unofficially named Magic Fold.

According to The Elec, most of these phones are expected to be released in the second half of this year. We have no way of confirming this, and the claim may seem a bit ambitious, so take it with a grain of salt pitch.

Given that the first foldable phones came from Chinese brands, it is not surprising that brands like Oppo and Vivo are considering incorporating this element. However, given that Google's latest phone, the Google Pixel 5, played it relatively safe in terms of smartphone innovation, Google's move to foldable is more intriguing.

However, Pixel Fold rumors are heating up, with The Elec now reporting that it will feature a 7.6-inch screen when folded.

What form factor it will be in is still unknown, as are other potential specs. However, there are reports that it will use UTG like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, so it would not be surprising if the Pixel Fold is designed to be similar to Samsung's current foldable. Nevertheless, it is possible that it will adopt a wraparound design like the Huawei Mate X.

Regardless of the design, it is increasingly likely that we will see some form of foldable phone from Google this year. This is interesting because it means that Google may be at the forefront of designing and optimizing Android, which is essentially a two-screen device.

Samsung has already made a lot of headway with its foldable phone software. However, having a version of Android designed to work natively on foldable phones should pave the way for other brands to make foldable phones without extensive user interface customization.

As for the other foldable phones mentioned in The Elec report, these could also be quite interesting.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 2 is said to feature an 8.01-inch inner screen and a 6.52-inch outer display. Meanwhile, Vivo's Fold Double is also rumored to feature an 8-inch inner screen and a 6.5-inch outer display.

Meanwhile, the Honor Magic Fold is reported to feature a similarly sized 8.03-inch inner display and a 6.45-inch outer display.

Finally, The Elec reports that Oppo will also unveil a 7.1-inch foldable phone with a 5.45-inch outer screen. However, this one apparently will not appear until sometime in 2022.

If this information is accurate, more foldable phones will hit the market in the next 6-12 months. It remains to be seen if Chinese brands will ship these phones to the US or UK. However, more foldable phones means that more technologies, display materials, and manufacturing processes will likely be developed simultaneously, which could mean that the cost of manufacturing foldable phones will drop, thus making such phones cheaper.

According to previous rumors, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be cheaper than the previous model, priced between $1,660 and $1,750. In other words, the era of folding phones hitting the $1,000 mark may be slowly approaching.

More details about the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 will be revealed soon, as they have been teased for an August 11 Unpacked event. And they could be the tip of the spear for a foldable-filled late 2021.