When the first foldable phones came along, they seemed like a cool evolution of the traditional smartphone form factor and, if they got smaller and cheaper, like something people might actually want. After more than five years of foldable phones, we can probably give up on the latter. Google’s new Pixel 10 Pro Fold retains the $1,800 price tag of last year’s model, and while it’s improved in several key ways, spending almost two grand on any phone remains hard to justify.
For those whose phones are a primary computing device or who simply love gadgets, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is still appealing. It offers the same refined Android experience as the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup, with much more screen real estate on which to enjoy it. Google also improved the hinge for better durability, shaved off some bezel, and boosted both charging speed and battery capacity. However, the form factor hasn’t taken the same quantum leap as Samsung’s latest foldable.
An iterative (but good) design
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold doesn’t reinvent the wheel—it looks and feels almost exactly like last year’s foldable, with a few minor tweaks centered around a new “gearless” hinge. Dropping the internal gears allegedly helps make the mechanism twice as durable. Google claims the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s hinge will last for more than 10 years of folding and unfolding.
