Google’s latest foldable phone significantly failed JerryRigEverything’s durability test after it exploded.
In his October 14 video, tech YouTuber JerryRigEverything put the Pixel 10 Pro Fold through his standard series of stress tests, which include scratch, dust, and bend resistance tests. During testing, the foldable broke along the same antenna line that caused breakages in previous Pixel Fold models, leading to a catastrophic failure.
Google’s foldable was also unable to withstand exposure to dust, despite the company’s claim of an IP68 dust resistance rating. The hinge was reportedly filled with debris and made “cracking” noises, proving that the internal mechanism was not particle-tight.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold crashes and catches fire during testing
The rupture caused the device’s internal battery to short circuit, causing the phone to ignite and smoke mid-test – the first time JerryRigEverything says it has ever caused a smartphone to explode in more than a decade of testing.
The YouTuber criticized Google for leaving the Pixel Fold’s antenna lines in the same vulnerable spot near the hinge for a third generation in a row, the same weak spot that caused the Pixel Fold and Pixel 9 Pro Fold to break in previous tests.
“This is by far the weakest foldable smartphone I have ever tested,” he said. “And it gets even worse. Turning it up for the second round, the battery decides it’s had enough. Surprisingly, in the decade I’ve been testing phone durability, I’ve never seen a smartphone explode before.”
In September, JerryRigEverything put the iPhone Air through the same round of testing. Many thought he would bend easily during his video, but he didn’t move until he used a machine to apply more pressure than a human could ever do.