Google’s latest foldable smartphone, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, dramatically caught fire during a recent durability assessment, with its battery rupturing and igniting mid-test. The incident unfolded as the phone underwent a standard bend test, designed to push devices to their physical limits. However, as the handset was flexed backward, the battery failed spectacularly, releasing smoke and visible flames. This fiery outcome casts a shadow on the device’s structural integrity, echoing concerns from the previous Pixel 9 Pro Fold which notoriously broke in half under similar stress.
An Explosive Durability Test for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold
Zack Nelson, the popular host of the JerryRigEverything YouTube channel, put the Pixel 10 Pro Fold through his signature durability series. During his notorious bend test, when the foldable was bent in the opposite direction, its battery suddenly exploded and emitted smoke. This alarming event, captured around the 6:30 mark of his video, showcased the device suffering severe damage, consistent with the vulnerabilities observed in earlier Pixel Fold models.
A video of the durability test dramatically shows the incident unfolding.
Even before the bend test, Nelson had voiced concerns regarding the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s overall robustness. He pointed out that while Google advertises an IP68 rating for the device, this protection might primarily apply to the display and not the crucial hinge mechanism. Much like other foldable phones from manufacturers such as Samsung and Honor, the hinge on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold appears to lack proper dust resistance. When exposed to dust, it produced an audible grinding sound, strongly challenging the phone’s advertised IP68 dust and water resistance certification.
The battery explosion marks a significant setback for Google’s newest foldable, signaling a critical failure in its design. Nelson strongly criticized Google’s claims of a more resilient build, noting that the device showed no discernible improvement over its predecessors. This incident was particularly shocking as it represented the first battery explosion in his decade-long career of testing smartphones. The disappointing performance was further highlighted by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, a comparatively thinner device, which successfully endured the same strenuous bend test without any damage or battery-related issues.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, launched in India with a price tag of Rs. 1,72,999 for its sole 256GB variant, boasts a 6.4-inch OLED cover screen and an expansive 8-inch main OLED display. Both screens offer smooth 120Hz refresh rates and impressive peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. Internally, the phone is powered by Google’s custom 3nm Tensor G5 chipset, complemented by the Titan M2 security chip, and runs on Android 16. For photography, it features a versatile 48-megapixel triple outward-facing camera system and dual 10-megapixel selfie cameras. Powering the device is a dual-cell 5,015mAh battery, supporting 30W wired and 15W wireless charging.
A second video provides an overview of the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s features.