The Pixel 10 Pro Fold won’t look much different if you put it next to last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Aside from Google’s AI technologies, there isn’t much of a makeover at first glance. However, this is the first foldable to receive an IP68 rating, and that counts for something.
Ever since companies started launching foldables, durability has been the main concern of users. The longevity of the hinges, the protection of the internal screen and the resistance of these devices against liquids and sand are always important considerations when buying a foldable phone compared to a slab phone.
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the company’s attempt to alleviate those concerns. The device is very similar to its predecessor, but there are a few key changes that make the phone more durable.
First is a new gearless hinge, which adds some resistance to folding and unfolding the phone. Because of the new hinge, there is very little gap when the phone is folded. This ensures that fewer dust particles and other debris can get inside and potentially damage the screen. While I didn’t put the phone in any sand, I did keep it in my bag and pocket several times to see if fluff from either place had any effect. However, the phone continued to work as usual.
I didn’t submerge the phone in water either. However, IP68 protection means the phone should withstand dust and water better than its predecessor.
In addition to the durability upgrade, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold got a new Tensor G5 processor. While it is fine for most everyday tasks such as My experience suggests, there is some debate as to how it is done it doesn’t perform as well as some other processors in reference tests.
Other hardware changes to the 10 Pro Fold include a larger battery than last year, which is a welcome change. Plus, the phone has a brighter screen, so it’s easier to use outside in daylight. One notable thing about the display is that the bezel around the display is much thicker than what I’ve seen on other recent phones, including both foldable and slab phones.
Since this is a Pixel phone, Google has added a number of AI features to the software. These additions include Magic Cue, which displays quotes and suggestions based on screenshots and data from apps like Maps, Gmail, Messages, and Keep. You also get call translation, Gemini Live with video projection, and a camera coach to guide you in taking photos. (These features already exist on the Pixel 10 Pro, and you can read more about how they work here.)
Cameras
For Pixel phones, the camera has been a central story for years. The Pixel 10 Fold Pro has camera specs similar to last year’s device. That means there’s a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 10.8-megapixel telephoto sensor with 5x optical zoom, and a 10.5-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. It also has a pair of 10-megapixel sensors as a selfie camera on both the cover display and the internal display.
This setup is no match for the Pixel 10 Pro’s 50-megapixel main sensor and a pair of 48-megapixel ultra-wide and telephoto sensors. Meanwhile, the Pixel Pro 10 also sports a 42-megapixel selfie camera.
Photos from the Fold’s main camera provide good detail, but that’s not the case with both the telephoto and ultra-wide lenses. In low light, only the main camera holds a little water, but the Pixel 10 Pro cameras go above and beyond.
One problem I have with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold camera is that every time I wanted to take a photo of a small object, like an AirPods case, the camera would turn on macro mode, even when it wasn’t very close to the object.
The jury’s out on how much artificial intelligence should be used in photos, but if you’re a fan of the Pixel AI Zoom feature, which can let you use 100x zoom, you’ll be disappointed to learn that the feature is missing from the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
The confusing “Pro” moniker.
It’s hard to expect a phone to not have a mouth-watering name in this day and age. However, Google’s inclusion of “Pro” in the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is confusing. The company launched the Pixel Fold in 2023 and then changed the naming scheme last year.
Usually, the Pro is reserved for the top-of-the-range phone in any series. If you don’t count screen size and battery size — which factor into the form factor — the foldable falls short in the camera, cooling and charging departments.
The camera is a step down from the Pixel 10 Pro, as we described earlier. Additionally, Google only included vapor chamber cooling for the Pro slab phones. And Qi2 25W charging is for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Some of them may be a limitation due to the foldable form. But then, why not drop the Pro name?
Google also needs to encourage developers to adopt third-party apps to fit the foldable experience, in addition to tweaking its own apps and making the overall multitasking performance less unpleasant. It would be nice to see Google implement something like this Samsung’s multi-window feature on the foldable Pixel.
Where is the foldable Pixel?
Amidst manufacturers like Samsung, Oppo and Honor scrambling to make thin foldable phones, Google has created a proudly thick and heavy foldable. The company has focused on making it more robust and long-lasting with the new hinge and IP rating.
The phone’s camera bump isn’t as huge as some of the Chinese manufacturers on their devices. This means it holds up a little better when you put it on a flat surface. The cameras are no match for the Pixel 10 Pro series, which is terrible. But if you’re not hung up on camera performance, the Pixel Fold cameras aren’t a bad bet.
The Pixel 10 Pro retails for $1,799 — $200 cheaper than Samsung’s Z Fold 7 — but you can get discounts on various sites. If you want a full Google or Pixel experience in a foldable form, this is the device for you.
