Temu Works with Google on Foldable-Optimized App for Pixel Fold
Temu, the Boston-based e-commerce platform that’s shaking up the world of retail with its year-round deals, signaled its intent to go after premium smartphone users by becoming one of the first developers to adapt their apps for Google’s $1,799 Pixel Fold.
Temu was among the select group of 25 apps highlighted by Google during its presentation at I/O on May 10 on developments in hardware, software, and third-party developers for large-screen mobile devices like tablets, and foldable and flippable phones. Temu was featured alongside developers like Disney+, Canva, Zoom, Whatsapp, Peloton, and Adobe.
Google earlier announced the Pixel Fold, the company’s first folding phone, with shipments slated to begin in June. The Alphabet-owned tech giant joins handset makers like Samsung, Motorola, and Oppo in betting that the future of mobile computing is foldable, large-screen devices. Worldwide foldable smartphone shipments are expected to reach 21.4 million units in 2023, up 50.5% from the 14.2 million units shipped in 2022, according to IDC.
“As people add more connected devices to their lives, they want their apps to work across them, and adapt to each form factor’s unique abilities,” McCullough said onstage during his presentation. “We’re seeing a robust market continue to grow for large-screen devices: Tablets, foldables, and flippables provide a huge opportunity to reach premium consumers.”
Temu’s appearance at Google I/O, one of the most high-profile events on the tech industry calendar, marks another milestone for the company, which has been one of the most downloaded apps on both Google Play and Apple’s App Store since its debut in September 2022. Temu, which means “team up, price down,” is now available in 10 markets, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Temu Designated Google Play Editors’ Choice
Known for its wide selection of affordable merchandise, Temu was recently designated a Google Play Editors’ Choice app. This accolade is given to apps and games that demonstrate exceptional quality, innovation, and design. Temu has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store.
Temu and Google are working together to make the Temu app better for foldable smartphones like the Pixel Fold. They are doing this by making the app look better and work better on these larger screens. For example, they are adding a feature that lets you see two things at once on the screen, like a product list on one side and a chat window on the other. This will make it easier to shop and stay in touch with customer service at the same time.
Overcoming Technical Challenges
Making apps work well on foldable smartphones can be difficult. This is because foldable smartphones have different screen sizes, aspect ratios, and folding mechanisms. Developers need to create layouts that can adapt to these different screen sizes and aspect ratios. They also need to make sure that the app transitions smoothly between different states, such as when the phone is folded and unfolded. Additionally, they need to consider the ergonomics of different user interactions, such as how people will hold and use the phone.
Another challenge is that the user base for foldable smartphones is still relatively small. This means that developers may not be motivated to invest the time and effort to develop their apps for these devices. As a result, there are fewer apps available for foldable smartphones than for traditional smartphones.
Despite these challenges, developers like Temu are working to create great apps for foldable smartphones. These developers are motivated by the potential of these devices to provide a more immersive and productive user experience. As the market for foldable smartphones continues to grow, more and more great apps are expected to become available for these devices.
For Temu, being among the first to offer a better user experience for owners of foldable smartphones may help it set the standard for other e-commerce apps to follow.
McClatchy newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
