Google’s new foldable Pixel bends and breaks during stress test, again

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is said to have a stronger hinge and be IP68 rated for water and dust resistance. A recent durability test highlights familiar failure points and presents new ones.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is, in fact, IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. This claim and certification means that the phone can withstand immersion in water to a certain depth and for a certain duration, as well as resist foreign objects to a dust-proof level.

A new durability test video released by JerryRigAll undergoes the same movements as any other durability test. This includes exposure to flame, resistance to sharp objects and total bending. Everything went well until the bend test. Applying heavy pressure – albeit normal for this type of test – against both sides of the foldable, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold didn’t stand a chance.

Google’s new foldable breaks in a very familiar way. In fact, it breaks in almost identical places as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – right at the antenna line. This is a design flaw that Google is probably aware of, but doesn’t seem to have made any improvements in the new version.

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The test doesn’t improve much. When pocket sand is introduced outside the hinge while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is closed, the phone is not able to retain it outside during the unfolding movement. An IP6X rating provides “dust-tight” resistance. What was sprinkled on the hinge could barely be considered dust – it was basically beach sand. These larger granules should have been expelled when closing the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but they weren’t. Cracking and cracking sounds could be heard shortly after.

After all that, the phone’s battery apparently ended up getting punctured by the remains of the broken foldable. This part seems a bit more likely to happen, given the nature of the events leading up to it.

Overall, foldables can only be so durable at the moment and these are extreme tests. By nature, they have to give up hardware to maintain a small form factor. Yet where Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series has failed to stand out in recent years, Google’s Pixel Fold series doesn’t seem to succeed – or maybe it can.

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