Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Review: Is This the Ultimate Phone?

Early foldable phones promised a revolution in mobile design, suggesting a future where these innovative devices would become both compact and affordable. After more than five years on the market, the dream of a budget-friendly foldable remains largely unrealized. Google’s latest offering, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, maintains the same $1,800 price tag as its predecessor. While it introduces meaningful upgrades, justifying such a significant investment in any smartphone continues to be a challenge for many consumers.

For individuals who rely heavily on their phone as a primary computing tool or who are passionate about cutting-edge technology, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold holds considerable appeal. It delivers the polished, intuitive Android experience found across the Pixel 10 family, but with substantially more screen space to enjoy it. Google has enhanced the hinge for greater durability, trimmed down the bezels, and increased both charging speed and battery capacity. Despite these improvements, the overall form factor hasn’t undergone the same dramatic transformation seen in Samsung’s most recent foldable models.

The design of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is best described as an iteration rather than a revolution. It bears a strong resemblance to last year’s model, with subtle refinements centered on a new “gearless” hinge mechanism. By eliminating internal gears, Google asserts the hinge is now twice as durable. The company confidently states the hinge is engineered to withstand over a decade of regular folding and unfolding.

A detailed look at the specifications reveals a powerful device. The phone is powered by the Google Tensor G5 chipset, paired with 16GB of memory. Storage options are generous, ranging from 256GB to a full 1TB. The display setup includes a 6.4-inch external OLED screen and a spacious 8-inch internal LTPO OLED panel, both with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz and impressive peak brightness.

Photography is handled by a versatile camera system featuring a 48MP wide sensor, a 10.5MP ultrawide with Macro Focus, and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto lens. Both the inner and outer displays house a 10.5MP selfie camera. The device runs on the latest Android 16 software and is powered by a 5,015 mAh battery, supporting up to 30W wired and 15W wireless charging. Connectivity is top-tier, including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G, UWB, and USB-C 3.2.

Physically, the new model is marginally thicker but also slightly narrower than before. These minute changes are virtually imperceptible in daily use, as is the one-gram weight increase. The more noticeable differences are the reduced bezels and the redesigned hinge. Because the dimensional shifts are so slight, many cases designed for the previous model will come very close to fitting the new one. The refined shape does contribute to a more comfortable and secure grip.

While the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might feel a bit thick by 2025 standards, it was considered exceptionally thin just a year ago. A significant achievement enabled by the gearless hinge is the device’s full IP68 certification for water and dust resistance, a first for a foldable phone. The hinge action is smooth and feels robust, though it is noticeably stiffer than most competing foldables straight out of the box. This stiffness may lessen with use, but initially, it requires more effort to open and close. In contrast, Samsung’s Z Fold 7 is thinner and folds more easily, but its hinge does not open to a completely flat 180-degree angle like the Pixel’s does.

(Source: Ars Technica)