The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is supposed to have a stronger hinge and be rated for IP68 water and dust resistance.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is, in fact, rated for IP68 water and dust resistance.
A new durability test video posted by JerryRigEverything goes through the same motions as any other durability test.
In fact, it breaks in almost identical spots to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – right at the antenna line.
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.
In addition to being rated for IP68 water and dust resistance, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to have a stronger hinge. A recent durability test reveals some new failure points as well as some well-known ones.
It is true that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. According to this certification and claim, the phone is dust-tight and can survive immersion in water for a specific amount of time and depth.
The same motions used in other durability tests are repeated in a new video that JerryRigEverything has posted. This covers full-on bending, resistance to sharp objects, and flame exposure. Before the bend test, everything was going according to plan. When a significant amount of pressure was applied to both sides of the foldable, which is typical for this kind of test, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold failed to withstand the test.
The new foldable from Google breaks in a way that is very familiar. The exact location where it breaks, at the antenna line, is actually almost the same as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Despite not appearing to have fixed the design flaw in the latest version, Google is probably aware of it.
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The test doesn’t improve all that much. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is unable to keep pocket sand out during the unfolding motion if it is placed on the outside of the hinge while the phone is closed. A rating of IP6X permits “dust-tight” resistance. What was sprayed on the hinge was basically beach sand and could hardly be considered dust. As the Pixel 10 Pro Fold closed, those bigger granules ought to have been released, but they weren’t. Not long after, there was a sound of crunching and cracking.
After everything, it appears that the remnants of the broken foldable ended up puncturing the phone’s battery. Given the circumstances leading up to it, that part seems a little more likely to occur.
After all, these are extreme tests, and foldables can only be so strong at this time. They must naturally sacrifice material in order to keep their form factor small. Even so, Google’s Pixel Fold series hasn’t been able to make a splash in recent years, while Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series has.
