Rumors now suggest the Pixel Fold is canceled. It's probably for the best.

Earlier this year, the rumor mill churned out predictions that Google could launch a foldable phone at its October event. Obviously, that didn’t happen, as the company only launched the Pixel 6 series. However, that doesn’t mean the company doesn’t still have a foldable in the works.

See also: Here’s what would make you buy a foldable phone

Now, though, that foldable could be getting shelved. According to sometimes-reliable leaker Ross Young, the Google Pixel Fold (which is its assumed name) is no longer happening. Young says Google has allegedly canceled orders for materials that would be necessary to produce the foldable on a large scale.

Young also contends there are two main reasons behind this decision. The first is that Google might have been worried about the foldable not being competitive enough. Samsung dominates the foldables market now, so for Google to compete, it would need to offer something better or something less expensive. It’s likely Google couldn’t figure out how to do this.

The second reason there might not be a Google Pixel Fold is a materials shortage. The ongoing global chip shortage is making it difficult for companies to keep even the most basic of phones in production, and throwing in a foldable phone with a limited audience likely wouldn’t be the best move.

Of course, this doesn’t preclude Google from creating a foldable in the future, even one maybe called the Google Pixel Fold. It just means the foldable phone rumored to launch this year is almost certainly not happening.