Google’s third-generation foldable phone is the first to be fully waterproof and dustproof, while also being equipped with a variety of advanced AI and adaptive camera sets, making it more durable than other phones.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold builds on last year’s excellent 9 Pro Fold by removing the gears on the hinge along the spine, allowing it to deal with the dust that has been the bane of all foldable phones until now, hindering the action in a way that isn’t a problem on regular slab phones.
However, like all foldable phones, the Pixel is very expensive at £1,749 (€1,899/$1,799/A$2,699), significantly more than the £1,199 Pixel 10 Pro XL and on par with the similarly priced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Aside from improved durability, there aren’t many noticeable changes to the exterior since the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The bezel has become thinner, making the external screen slightly larger, and the internal and external screens are also slightly brighter than before. The Fold looks great when closed for phone-based work, and when open it can comfortably fit two full-size apps side by side on its excellent internal screen.
But compared to Samsung’s impressively thin and light Z Fold 7, the Pixel looks heavy and chunky. At 258g, you can feel the ease of use and feel in your pocket, and it is quite thick compared to regular phones and newer competitors.
The Fold has the same Google Tensor G5 chip as the rest of the Pixel 10 family, with 16GB of RAM and at least 256GB of storage. It has the same performance as the Pixel 10 Pro, feels quick to use, and can handle most tasks without breaking a sweat. But those who want the highest frame rates in high-end games are better served by competitors with Qualcomm’s top Snapdragon chips.
As with all foldable devices, the Fold’s battery life will vary greatly depending on which screen you use the most. On a bright day with about 5 hours of active screen use, split equally between the internal and external displays, mostly on Wi-Fi, the Pixel managed about 38 to 40 hours between charges. On days when I had 5G and used the internal screen more, it lasted about 28 hours and ended the day with 25% left in the tank. It’s not terrible, but it lags behind its best rivals or larger-screen slab phones, including the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
specification
-
External screen: 6.4-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED (408ppi)
-
Internal screen: 8-inch 120Hz OLED (373ppi)
-
Processor: Google Tensor G5
-
ram: 16GB
-
save: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
-
Operating System: android 16
-
camera: 48MP wide, 10.5MP ultrawide, 10.8MP 5x telephoto; Two 10MP selfie cameras
-
Connectivity: 5G, eSim, USB-C, Wi-Fi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 6, UWB, Thread, GNSS
-
Waterproof: IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes)
-
Folded Size: 155.2 x 76.3 x 10.8mm
-
Expanded Size: 155.2 x 150.4 x 5.2mm
-
weight: 258g
Android 16, Magic Q and Gemini
The Fold runs the same Android 16 software as the rest of the Pixel 10 Pro family. The software has a bold, colorful look and tons of cutting-edge AI tools built into almost every corner of your phone.
Some of the key features include the Gemini chatbot, which can see and hear what users are doing, interact with apps, and is generally very useful, and a new real-time translation system for phone calls that replicates the caller’s voice.
Magic Cue is a great feature, a little helper that runs in the background of your device, processing data from various Google apps and displaying timely information when you need it. We understand your context, so when a friend texts you about a flight arrival time, your calendar will suggest flight details so you can paste them right into the conversation, and when you call work, the Phone app will show you order details from Gmail right there. It’s low key.
There are also a few modifications to make the most of the large internal screen. The taskbar at the bottom of the display makes it easy to place apps on a split screen. Additionally, similar to the Honor Magic V5 and OnePlus Open, you can resize apps beyond the borders of the screen, adding some flexibility to running both apps side by side.
The Fold also comes with a one-year subscription to Google AI Pro worth £19 per month. This gives you access to more powerful Gemini AI models and 2TB of cloud storage for photos, files, and email. The phone will receive updates until October 2032.
sustainability
The battery is rated to last more than 1,000 full charge cycles to more than 80% of its original capacity. Your phone can be repaired at Google, third-party stores, or by yourself if manuals and parts are available.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold contains 29% recycled materials by weight, including aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, plastic, rare earth elements, tin, and tungsten. In its report, the company analyzes the impact of mobile phones on the environment and will recycle old devices for free.
camera
The 10 Pro Fold includes a very similar camera setup to last year’s 9 Pro Fold and the new Pixel 10. This includes a 48-megapixel main camera, a 10.5MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 10.8MP 5x telephoto camera (larger than its flip-phone competitors), and two 10MP selfie cameras.
The main camera takes good photos in a variety of conditions, but can suffer from some blur and graininess in low light levels. Google’s Night Mode remains the best in the business, even when it gets really dark. The ultra-wide-angle camera is solid, while the 5x optical zoom telephoto camera can meaningfully close the distance to objects. The latter may result in small details being slightly softer than ideal lighting. Like the regular Pixel 10, the camera takes mostly acceptable photos and videos, but it can’t match the Pixel 10 Pro line, which is what you’d expect at this price.
The Fold has some unique tricks, including a variety of shooting modes that use both screens or maintain an angle while partially folded, and the ability to take selfies with the primary camera. The handy Made You Look feature displays animations on the external screen that react when your child looks and smiles, keeping them engaged long enough to take a photo. Unfortunately, it uses one of the selfie cameras rather than the main one, so it’s more fun than great photos.
price
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is priced at £1,749 (€1,899/$1,799/A$2,699).
For comparison, the Pixel 10 costs £799, the Pixel 10 Pro costs £999, the Pixel 10 Pro XL costs £1,199, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 costs £1,799 and the Honor Magic V5 costs £1,699.99.
verdict
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a minor update to the already good 9 Pro Fold that launched last year, but it could have a bigger impact in the future. As the first foldable with proper dust resistance, it sets a new standard for durability, slowly bringing the device up to par with standard slab phones.
The internal screen is softer than regular tempered glass and can be folded, but you still have to be careful. Pressing your fingernails hard can leave permanent marks.
The added Qi2 magnetic accessories and charging support are great on the Fold, just like on other Pixels. The phone is fast, has decent battery life, runs great software, and has the best, most cutting-edge AI. The camera is great for foldables, but not for the best regular phones.
The Pixel strikes a good balance between being a regular phone when closed and a great tablet when open, but it’s thick and heavy compared to the incredibly thin and light Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
merit: Phone and tablet in one, dust and water resistant, Qi2 magnetic accessories and charging, great tablet screen, great performance, great camera with 5x zoom, AI included including Magic Cue, 1 year of Google AI Pro, 7 years of software updates included.
disadvantage: It’s extremely expensive, more fragile, more expensive to repair, thicker and heavier than a regular device, its camera can’t compare to the regular Pixel 10 Pro, its battery life could be longer, and it may have fewer power user features than the competition.