Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Review: A Tougher, Longer-Lasting Foldable With Magnets
If you buy something through one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Google's new Pixel 10 Pro Fold provides a more Pro-like camera and a dust-resistant foldable with Qi2 magnets, which helps it stand out among the many foldables.
Google wanted to let the world know what it’s learned within its 3rd iteration of a folding phone. Beginning with the Pixel Fold, which introduced the short and wide foldable design as an alternative to Samsung’s long and narrow build, but with beloved or hated cameras and software from its Pixel phones. Then there was last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which streamlined the design and offered new software features with the usual camera, battery, and processor upgrades. And now we have the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which is the first foldable to offer dust-and-water resistance and Qi2 magnetic charging support, but also has a slightly larger outer display, a larger battery, an upgraded main camera, and useful AI features.
Similar to the Pixel 10 phones, the upgrades to the new 10 Pro Fold appear incremental on the surface, compared to last year’s model. But like any review, there’s more to a product than its spec sheet and feature list. We got our review unit the day before the embargo lifted, so we wanted to take our time with it beyond the atypical one-week embargo to attempt to answer questions consumers may have. Such as does the IP68 body hold up? Is the gearless hinge an improvement? Are the bigger battery and magnet support beneficial? We put it through a mild test, as our results lie within our review.
Hardware
Similar to the Pixel 10 series of phones, the 10 Pro Fold bears a strong resemblance to last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold. From a design perspective, there aren’t any notable visual differences between the two foldables. However, Pixel 9 Pro Fold cases won’t ideally fit on Pixel 10 Pro Fold models due to the minor difference in their camera bar placement, marginally thicker depth, and incrementally heavier weight. The 10 Pro Fold is the first foldable on the market with an IP68-rated body, which can handle dust with water exposure. It also utilizes a new gearless hinge, which Google quotes can handle a decade of opening and closing. Within nearly four weeks of using the Fold, I was able to flip it open by flicking it in my wrist and captured some footage while participating in a kids’ version of a color run for my son’s school. The results were zero issues, but we’ll update our coverage if any problems arise.
I've frequently whipped open the 10 Pro Fold and even participated in a kids' color run with my son, all without any problems to date.
It also offers a slightly larger and brighter 6.4-inch 2364 x 1080 120 Hz screen with 3,000 nits of peak brightness over its predecessor’s 6.3-inch 2424 x 1080 120 Hz panel with 2,700 nits. Google retains its marvelous 8-inch interior 2076 x 2152 120 Hz panel for viewing, gaming, and split-screen multitasking. All 10 Pro Folds’ panels brandish the same quality OLEDs as last year, but overall, they are brighter. This helps the 10 Pro Fold maintain the same stellar screens across all four of its Pixel 10 models, with bright, punchy colors, amazing contrast, and the deep blacks one would expect from an exemplary OLED panel. I watched the BlackBerry movie on Disney+ on its 8-inch screen, and it was great—both the film and the movie-watching experience. There is a slightly noticeable crease in the middle, but it doesn’t take long to blend into the background after a short period of use. Moving forward, I’d love to see a smaller bezel, if possible, for more screen real estate for the inner screen.
Now, we did want to address the JerryRigEverything incident, where he repeatedly opened his 10 Pro Fold in the opposite direction, to the point where the battery sparked. This put the Internet in a small uproar, as some thought Google was succumbing to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, in which the phone suffered a battery defect that caused it to catch fire or explode. However, the folks over at iFixit told The Verge that this isn’t a need to worry. The incident occurred because his battery was not low enough before completing his tests. A battery percentage below 25% would be considered safe before tinkering or doing extreme testing on a smartphone. Throughout my daily use, I didn’t come across issues or a need for concern. So I wouldn’t let that stop you from picking one up if you planned to.
Performance & Battery Life
Google’s latest foldable has also been updated to the company’s newest Tensor G5 processor, just as the rest of the Pixel 10 flagship phones. Coupled with 16GB of RAM, the chipset performs marginally better than its predecessor, as the new chip effortlessly tackles daily tasks, multitasking, and split-screen actions, and its growing suite of Google AI features. The only place you’ll notice this isn’t a high-end Snapdragon processor is when gaming on console-quality titles. I always use Call of Duty: Mobile as my litmus test, and it would sporadically stutter and freeze on me mid-gaming. If high-end gaming is a priority for you, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be better for you.
The Tensor G5 chip performs as respectable as one can expect, but the new battery on the 10 Pro Fold is a true upgrade.
On the battery side of things, we get a more noticeable upgrade. Inside the 10 Pro Fold lies a larger 5,015 mAh battery, which is larger than the 4,650 mAh cell in the previous model. Google quotes having a 24-hour battery life, and the foldable actually lives up to its claims. With lighter usage, I was able to get nearly 48 hours on a single charge. With heavier usage, I still managed to get just over 16 hours of juice with 8 hours of on-screen time by unplugging it at 7 AM and plugging it in at 11:20 PM at 2%. My heavy testing included an hour of COD: Mobile, an hour of TikTok, 50 mins of Google Docs, 30 mins of YouTube, and 40 mins of navigation via Google Maps on top of reading and replying to emails and messaging via Telegram, WhatsApp, and a few texts. Its battery also charges faster with 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, which can offer up to 50% of juice in 30 minutes when using a 30W or faster charging brick.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold also shares Google’s Pixelsnap feature, as with the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup, which uses Qi2 magnets built in to support both Pixelsnap and MagSafe accessories. This means everything from PopSockets to MagSafe ring stands to magnetic car phone mounts to other third-party accessories—all now work with the 10 Pro Fold and the latest Pixel phones.
Cameras
The 10 Pro Fold is equipped with a rear triple camera system, which consists of a new 48MP wide main sensor, the same 10.5MP ultra-wide, and the same 10.8MP telephoto with up to 5x optical zoom as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Its other cameras, which reside within the cover and main displays, are the same 10MP front-facing cameras as its predecessor. Similar to the rest of the Pixel 10 phones, the Tensor G5 chip includes an updated image signal processor for faster AI processing for photos and videos.
Thanks to its upgraded main camera, the 10 Pro Fold now feels more worthy of the "Pro" name.
Outside of the main rear sensor, the other lenses mirror those from last year’s foldable. However, this leads to fantastic, versatile, and reliable results when using the main sensor for photos and videos. The photos of plants, food, macro shots, and low-light images are full of crisp details, accurate colors, and punchy saturation. Unfortunately, the quality drops a bit when you shift towards the ultrawide, telephoto, and front-facing sensors, as more noise enters the party—especially in low-light situations. Hopefully, within the next year or two, Google’s engineering team can figure out how to beef up the megapixel sensors on the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses, and then the Pro Fold can actually offer Pro-level cameras across the board. The ProRes Zoom feature from the 10 Pro phones would be a welcome addition as well. Despite my gripes with it, the 10 Pro Fold continues to offer one of, if not the best, shooters on a foldable.
One of the new features this year is Instant View, which allows you to preview your recently taken photos in the Camera app when your device is unfolded. The camera portion is on the right side, and the Instant View viewfinder is on the left side. So when capturing a photo, you can see right away if you need a 2nd or a 3rd take or edit—all without the need to open the Photos app. Also new are the Edit with Ask Photos and Camera Coach features. Edit with Ask Photos is powered by Gemini, which analyzes your photo and provides suggestions like color enhancement, replacing colors, and using AI to add objects. You also have the option to add your personal suggestions. Camera Coach uses AI to scan your viewfinder and provide suggested angles to capture an ideal photo, with step-by-step instructions.
Returning features are the Made You Look feature, which adds new animation options to its exterior screen to get younger children to look at the camera; Best Take, which is now automatic when it notices more than one subject; Add Me, Portrait Blur, Magic Eraser, Audio Magic Eraser, Unblur, etc.
Software
Google brings the latest Android 16 software to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold with the same refinements and new features as the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup. Google brings forth software features found only on the 10 Pro Fold and not on its other Pixels.
Outside of the Instant View and Made You Look features, its ability to quickly drag and drop apps and items for split-screen multitasking is what the Pixel 10 Pro Fold was made for. Google added a new UI that lets you decide how big or small you want the two apps to be in split-screen mode. For example, you can have Google Maps take up 75% of both screens and a messaging app on the remaining 25% of the screen. You can easily interact between each app without any freezing or lagging, as well as drag and drop information from one app to another quite effortlessly. I wish Google would leave the taskbar at the bottom to access apps like Samsung, and allow for a third smaller app to be accessed, similar to what OnePlus did with its foldable.
It also has the same Pixel 10 features, like Magic Cue, which uses AI to create relevant suggestions and actions based on the app. For example, if you’re messaging with someone who asks for an email or phone number of someone saved in your contacts, the information will arrive in Gboard for you to simply tap and paste into the conversation. It works with phone calls, weather, Maps, and other apps system-wide. It may take a while to work when you first get the device, as the phone needs to collect your information for the feature to function properly. Of course, you can opt out if you’re not interested.
Other new features include Take A Message, which adds to the Pixel’s already amazing Call Screening suite of features by transcribing your voicemails from missed or unwanted calls, and the Pixel Journal app allows you to add your thoughts, images, videos, and locations, and the app provides AI-based reflections based upon your journal entries. The Recorder app can now add music to your voice notes, and Gboard adds Smart Editing, which lets you edit text using your voice. And at the time of writing this review, the Daily Hub feature has been paused by Google due to performance issues. When we reviewed the rest of the Pixel 10 phones, it didn’t pull enough information to actually be useful.
As with the recent Pixel Pro phones, the 10 Pro Fold includes a free full year of Gemini AI Pro (this costs $240 annually), which offers the 2.5 Pro version of Gemini, access to Google’s Veo 3 video creation tool, and 2 TB of storage shared across apps like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
Priced at $1,800, Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold offers several features not found on any other foldable. Google armed it with a dust-resistant body, Qi2 magnetic charging, and arguably the best cameras on a folding phone. It retains its iconic design as its predecessor, while also providing a longer-lasting battery.
However, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers a slimmer, lightweight body with a smaller bezel, improved gaming performance, and additional software features, including a pinned taskbar and more customization for using multiple apps simultaneously. However, it comes at a premium, as Samsung’s foldable is $200 more, starting at $2,000. The decision between Google’s tougher and longer-lasting approach versus Samsung’s thinner, better-performing one isn’t an easy one. As great as both foldables are, it’s a matter of preference.
For Pixel users, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is an easy buy or upgrade for those with the original Pixel Fold, but not so much for Pixel 9 Pro Fold owners, as I would wait for next year’s model.
Comments