Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Evaluation: Lacking Pro Options

Magnets are the most enjoyable new function on Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold for me. I used to be giddy with pleasure after I popped this book-like folding cellphone onto my MagSafe wi-fi automobile charger—no third-party magnetic case wanted, no annoying clamps. I used to be even in a position to open the cellphone up, and whereas it drooped into panorama orientation because of the weight of the second display screen, it stayed caught and gave me a a lot bigger view of Google Maps.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Google’s broader Pixel 10 sequence are the one flagship Android telephones with native Qi2 wi-fi charging assist, which means they’ll magnetically recharge identical to MagSafe iPhones, enabling quicker and extra environment friendly charging. It may not sound like an enormous deal, nevertheless it’s little issues like this that may make a huge impact on day-to-day use.

Unfortunately, outdoors of magnets and its folding trick, this Pixel nonetheless would not really feel fairly as “professional” as its name suggests. It’s missing a few staples found on the actual Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. It’s a good smartphone, but when you’re spending $1,799, you want to get the best bang for your buck.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold on a MagSafe wi-fi charger.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Ten Fold

Samsung tremendously slimmed down its Galaxy Z Fold7 this summer season, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s principal competitors, and I want Google had adopted go well with. Phones are getting slimmer than ever, and when you might not take care of an ultrathin candy-bar handset with not-so-amazing battery life, any millimeter that is shaved off a folding cellphone could make an enormous distinction in usability.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold would not really feel just like the chonker it was initially, however subsequent to the Z Fold7, it feels just a little extra cumbersome to make use of. I nonetheless discover it laborious to open typically (I want there was a small lip), and I additionally am not a fan of the asymmetrical design, with seen curved edges on the left close to the hinge; Samsung’s cellphone seems to be extra elegant.

The {hardware} feels higher than ever although, with a dependable gearless hinge and a crease I discover straightforward to disregard. (If you care, the Galaxy Z Fold7’s crease is barely much less noticeable.) This is among the few folding telephones with a correct IP68 dust- and water-resistance ranking, even higher than what Samsung presents, so you possibly can really feel secure utilizing this cellphone in numerous environments like conventional smartphones. I dropped the cellphone after I was getting out of my automobile (onto asphalt), and I noticed just a few nicks within the aluminum body. And whereas a lot of that comes right down to luck, these folding telephones simply aren’t as fragile as they as soon as had been. Google says the cellphone is able to 10 years of folding, which helps assuage long-term considerations.