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Pixel 10 Pro Fold phone It won’t look very different if you put it next to it Last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Besides the AI elements offered by Google, there’s not much to fix at first glance. However, this is the first convertible to receive an IP68 rating, and that’s important.
Ever since companies started launching foldable devices, durability has become the primary concern for users. Longevity of the hinges, internal screen protection, and resistance to liquids and sand are always big considerations when purchasing a foldable phone versus a tablet.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the company’s attempt to alleviate these concerns. The device is very similar to its predecessor, but there are some key changes that make the phone sturdier.
The first is the new gearless hinge, which adds a little resistance to folding and unfolding the phone. Because of the new hinge, there is a very small gap when the phone is folded. This ensures that fewer dust particles and other debris get inside which could damage the screen. Even though I didn’t put the phone in the sand, I did keep it in my bag and pocket a few times to see if lint from anywhere had any effect. However, the phone continued to work as usual.
I didn’t submerge the phone in water either. However, having IP68 protection means the phone should withstand dust and water better than its predecessor.
Aside from the durability upgrade, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold gets a new Tensor G5 processor. Although it’s good for most everyday tasks, it… My experience is that there is some debate about how It doesn’t work as well as some Other processors On standardized tests.
Other hardware changes in the 10 Pro Fold include a larger battery than last year, which is a welcome change. Additionally, 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 screen is much thicker than I’ve seen on other modern phones, including foldable phones and tablets.
Since this is a Pixel phone, Google has added a number of AI features to the software. These additions include Magic Cue, which displays snippets and suggestions based on screenshots and data from apps like Maps, Gmail, Messages, and Keep. You also get call translation, Gemini Live with video view, 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 now. The Pixel 10 Fold Pro has similar camera specifications to last year’s device. This 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 inner display.
This setup is not on par with the Pixel 10 Pro’s 50-megapixel main sensor and a pair of 48-megapixel sensors for ultra-resolution and telephoto photography. Meanwhile, the Pixel Pro 10 also has a 42MP selfie camera.
Photos from the Fold’s main camera provide good detail, but that’s not the case with the telephoto and ultra-wide lenses. In low light, the main camera only retains some water, but the Pixel 10 Pro cameras outperform it.
One issue I had with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s camera is that whenever 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 still out on how much AI to use 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 on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Confusing “Pro” moniker
It’s hard to expect a phone not to have a famous name in this day and age. However, Google’s inclusion of “Pro” in the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a bit confusing. The company launched the Pixel Fold in 2023, then changed the naming scheme last year.
Typically, the Pro is reserved for the top-tier phone in any lineup. Unless you account for the screen size and battery size – which results in the form factor – the foldable device fails in the camera, cooling and charging departments.
The camera is a step down from the Pixel 10 Pro as we described previously. Additionally, Google has only included vapor chamber cooling for its Pro Slab phones. 25W Qi2 charging is reserved for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Some of this 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 suit the foldable experience, along with tweaking its own apps and making overall multitasking performance less glitchy. It would be nice to see Google implement something like this Samsung’s multi-window feature on foldable Pixel devices.
Where does the foldable Pixel stand?
Amid manufacturers like Samsung, Oppo and Honor racing to build thin foldable phones, Google has proudly produced a massive foldable phone. The company focused on making it more durable and long-lasting with the new hinge and IP rating.
The phone’s camera bump is not as huge as some Chinese manufacturers have on their devices. This means that it stays on a little better when placed on a flat surface. The cameras don’t match the Pixel 10 Pro line, which is frustrating. But if you’re not concerned about camera performance, the Pixel Fold’s cameras aren’t a bad bet.
The Pixel 10 Pro retails for a listed price of $1,799 — which is $200 cheaper than Samsung’s Z Fold 7 — but you can get discounts on various sites. If you want the full Google or Pixel experience in a foldable form factor, this is the device for you.