Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold evaluate: dust-resistant and extra sturdy foldable cellphone | Pixel

Google’s third-generation folding cellphone guarantees to be extra sturdy than all others as the primary with full water and mud resistance whereas additionally packing numerous superior AI and an adaptable set of cameras.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold builds on final yr’s glorious 9 Pro Fold by putting off gears within the hinge alongside its backbone permitting it to cope with mud, which has been the achilles heel of all foldable telephones till now, gumming up the works in a manner that simply isn’t an issue for normal slab telephones.

But, as with all foldable telephones, the Pixel may be very costly, costing £1,749 (€1,899/$1,799/A$2,699), sitting far above the £1,199 Pixel 10 Pro XL and rubbing shoulders with the equally expensive Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Improved sturdiness apart, not so much has visibly modified on the skin because the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The exterior display screen is a smidgen bigger due to thinner bezels, and the within and out of doors screens are barely brighter than earlier than. The Fold is a superb form when closed for phone-based duties and may comfortably match two full-size apps facet by facet on the wonderful inside display screen when open.

However, the Pixel is heavy and appears chunky in contrast with Samsung’s impressively skinny and lightweight Z Fold 7. It is 258g, which you’ll really feel in use and the pocket, whereas being considerably thicker than a traditional cellphone and the newest rivals.

The Fold has the identical Google Tensor G5 chip as the remainder of the Pixel 10 line with 16GB of RAM and at the very least 256GB of storage. It performs simply in addition to the Pixel 10 Pro, feeling fast in use and able to dealing with most duties with out breaking a sweat. Those looking for the very best body charges in high-end video games are higher served by rivals with Qualcomm’s prime Snapdragon chip, nonetheless.

As with all foldables, the battery lifetime of the Fold varies so much relying on which display screen you utilize most. On mild days with about 5 hours of energetic display screen use unfold equally between the within and out of doors shows, totally on wifi, the Pixel managed about 38 to 40 hours between prices. On heavier days on 5G with extra inside display screen use, it lasted about 28 hours, ending the day with 25% left within the tank. That’s not horrible however is a way behind the most effective rivals or big-screen slab telephones, together with the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Specifications

• Outside display screen: 6.4in FHD+ 120Hz OLED (408ppi)

• Inside display screen: 8in 120Hz OLED (373ppi)

• Processor: Google Tensor G5

• RAM: 16GB

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB

• Operating system: Android 16

• Camera: 48MP extensive, 10.5MP ultrawide, 10.8MP 5x telephoto; two 10MP selfie cameras

• Connectivity: 5G, eSim, USB-C, wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 6, UWB, Thread, GNSS

• Water resistance: IP68 (1.5 metres for half-hour)

• Dimensions folded: 155.2 x 76.3 x 10.8mm

• Dimensions unfolded: 155.2 x 150.4 x 5.2mm

• Weight: 258g

Android 16, Magic Cue and Gemini

The Fold runs the identical Android 16 software program as the remainder of the Pixel 10 Pro line, which introduces a daring and vibrant look plus numerous cutting-edge AI instruments crammed into nearly each nook of the cellphone.

Some of the highlights embody the Gemini chatbot, which might see and listen to what you do, work together together with your apps and is mostly fairly helpful, plus a brand new real-time translation system for cellphone calls that replicates the caller’s voice.

Magic Cue is the standout characteristic, which is just a little helper that runs within the background in your gadget, processing your knowledge from numerous Google apps and popping up with well timed data if you want it. It understands context, so when a good friend texts to ask about when your flight lands it should counsel your flight particulars out of your calendar so you’ll be able to paste them straight into your dialog, or if you name a enterprise it should present your order particulars from Gmail proper within the cellphone app. It is low-key nice.

It additionally has a couple of modifications to profit from the massive inside display screen. A activity bar on the backside of the show makes placing apps into break up display screen simple. You also can resize apps past the border of the display screen, just like the Honor Magic V5 and OnePlus Open, which provides a little bit of flexibility to working two apps facet by facet.

The Fold additionally comes with a subscription for Google AI Pro for a yr, value £19 a month, granting entry to extra highly effective Gemini AI fashions and 2TB of cloud storage for images, recordsdata and electronic mail. The cellphone will obtain updates until October 2032.

Sustainability

The battery is rated to last in extra of 1,000 full cost cycles with at the very least 80% of its authentic capability. The cellphone is repairable by Google, third-party outlets or self-repair with manuals and elements resulting from be obtainable.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold comprises 29% recycled supplies by weight together with aluminium, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, plastic, rare-earth parts, tin and tungsten. The firm breaks down the phone’s environmental impact in its report and can recycle old devices at no cost.

Camera

The 10 Pro Fold has a really related digital camera set as much as final yr’s 9 Pro Fold and the brand new Pixel 10, together with a 48-megapixel major, 10.5MP extremely extensive and a ten.8MP 5x telephoto digital camera, which out-zooms folding cellphone rivals, plus two 10MP selfie cameras.

The major digital camera shoots good images throughout a spread of circumstances, though it will possibly undergo from just a little blur and grain at decrease mild ranges. Google’s night time mode remains to be the most effective within the enterprise when it will get actually darkish. The ultra-wide digital camera is strong, whereas the 5x optical zoom telephoto digital camera can meaningfully shut the space to things. The latter is usually a bit delicate on element in lower than best mild. Just just like the common Pixel 10 the digital camera shoots good images and video most can be happy with, however it will possibly’t match the Pixel 10 Pro line, which for this worth you may count on.

The Fold has a couple of tips of its personal, together with numerous taking pictures modes utilizing each screens or propped up at angles when partly folded, plus the flexibility to shoot selfies with the primary digital camera. The useful Made You Look characteristic reveals an animation on the skin display screen that reacts when your baby seems to be its manner and smiles, protecting their consideration lengthy sufficient so that you can shoot a photograph, though sadly it makes use of one of many selfie cameras, not the first digital camera, so it’s extra for enjoyable than an ideal photograph.

Price

The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold prices from £1,749 (€1,899/$1,799/A$2,699).

For comparability, the Pixel 10 prices £799, Pixel 10 Pro prices £999, the Pixel 10 Pro XL prices £1,199, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 prices £1,799 and the Honor Magic V5 prices £1,699.99.

Verdict

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a minor replace to the already good 9 Pro Fold from final yr, however one that would have a much bigger influence down the road. As the primary correctly dust-resistant foldable it units a brand new sturdiness benchmark, slowly bringing the units as much as par with commonplace slab telephones.

The inside display screen remains to be essentially softer than an everyday hardened glass to permit it to fold, nonetheless, so you will need to nonetheless watch out with it. A fingernail can go away a everlasting mark if you happen to press exhausting sufficient.

The added Qi2 magnetic accent and charging help is simply nearly as good within the Fold as it’s in different Pixels. The cellphone is fast, has affordable battery life, runs nice software program and has the most effective cutting-edge AI round. The cameras are good for a foldable, too, though can’t match the most effective regular telephones.

The Pixel does an ideal job of balancing being an everyday cellphone when closed and an ideal pill when open, however it’s fats and heavy in contrast with the dramatically thinner and lighter Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Pros: a cellphone and pill in a single, mud and water-resistant, Qi2 magnetic accent and charging, nice pill display screen, good efficiency, good cameras with 5x zoom, filled with AI together with Magic Cue, Google AI Pro included for a yr, seven years of software program updates.

Cons: extraordinarily costly, extra fragile and costlier to restore than an everyday gadget, thick and heavy, cameras can’t match common Pixel 10 Pro, battery life might be higher, fewer power-user options than rivals.