The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is supposed to have a stronger hinge and be rated for IP68 water and dust resistance. A recent durability test highlights familiar failure points and presents some new ones.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is, in fact, rated for IP68 water and dust resistance. This claim and certification mean the phone can withstand submersion in water up to a certain depth and time, and resistance to foreign objects at a dust-tight level.
A new durability test video posted by JerryRigEverything goes through the same motions as any other durability test. That includes flame exposure, sharp object resistance, and full-on bending. Everything was going fine right up until the bend test. Applying a heavy – albeit a normal amount for this type of test – amount of pressure against both sides of the foldable, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold didn’t stand a chance.
Google’s new foldable breaks in a very familiar way. In fact, it breaks in almost identical spots to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – right at the antenna line. It’s a design flaw that Google is likely aware of, but doesn’t seem to have made any improvements on in the new version.
The test doesn’t get much better. When pocket sand is introduced to the outside of the hinge while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is closed, the phone isn’t able to keep it out during the unfolding motion. An IP6X rating allows for “dust-tight” resistance. What was sprinkled on the hinge could barely classify as dust – it was essentially beach sand. Those larger granules should have been expelled as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold closed, but they weren’t. Crunching and cracking could be heard shortly after.
After all of this, the phone’s battery seemingly ended up punctured by the remains of the broken foldable. That part seems a little more likely to occur, given the nature of the events leading up to it.
In the grand scheme of things, foldables can only be so strong right now and these are extreme tests. By nature, they need to give up material to maintain a small form factor. Still, where Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series fails to break in recent years, Google’s Pixel Fold series can’t seem to catch a break – or maybe it can.
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