With the Pixel 10 Pro Fold now available, Google is detailing the design and engineering decisions that it made.
Google “had to decide how big of a leap [it] wanted to make” this generation after a “major engineering lift” from the Pixel Fold to Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The company ended up taking a “more aggressive path” for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
A gearless hinge is more reliable as there are no gears that can be damaged over time by dust getting stuck.
The gearless hinge maintains this symmetrical motion using mechanical components called CAMs, which convert one type of motion to another.
Google is revealing the engineering and design choices it made for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which is now available. One noteworthy aspect is that, despite having a nearly identical design that is just a bit thicker, the team believes this device is a greater improvement than most people realize.
After the Pixel Fold underwent a “major engineering lift” to become the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Google “had to decide how big of a leap [it] wanted to make” this generation. A color update and “updated specs and cameras” would have been the self-described “safer path.”.
For the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the business ultimately decided to take a “more aggressive path.”.
Claude Zellweger, industrial design lead for Pixel, states, “We felt that if we’re able to really progress and push our engineering capabilities, we should.”. This is how we arrived at what Claude refers to as the “aggressive dimensions” of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, along with a better-performing camera and other features like a brand-new gearless hinge that enabled a large portion of the new Fold’s engineering.
Because there are no gears that can be harmed over time by dust accumulation, a gearless hinge is more dependable. This is a noticeable improvement over your foldable’s lifespan. By eliminating the tiny gaps needed by the previous hinge, the IP68 water and dust resistance rating was made possible.
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Common hinges feature four toothed gears that enable the device’s two halves to rotate symmetrically during opening and closing. This symmetrical motion is maintained by the gearless hinge through the use of mechanical parts known as CAMs, which change one kind of motion into another. By transforming rotational motion into linear motion in this instance, the hinge is able to conserve space.
As noted in our review, the hinge also “protrudes from the phone’s body less” and enables smoother opens and closes. The 10 Pro Fold folds up to 0.8 mm narrower.
After removing the gears, the larger 6.4-inch (previously 6.3) outer display was given a bezel shrink, of course, thanks to this new hinge. Additionally, it led to the internal architecture being rearranged to accommodate a larger battery (5,015 vs. 4,650 mAh.
Because Google doesn’t want that part to “blend in,” the hinge is polished rather than matte, upholding the team’s conviction that shiny equals high-end. The edges (diamond-cut chamfers) also have a metallic finish for the same reason.
Additionally, maintaining the hinge’s shine is something we want to do annually. He claims that if it were matte, it would simply blend in; the polish makes the phone stand out and indicates that it is compatible with the other professional Pixels. “.”.
