Every good device builds upon the generation that came before it. In the seven years or so that foldable phones have been around, we've seen some incredible breakthroughs. For all its flaws, the original Galaxy Fold was a magical creation that proved there was merit to Samsung’s sci-fi aspirations. Then the Galaxy Z Fold 3 added water resistance to a foldable for the first time plus built-in stylus support. More recently, Google simplified flexible phone design with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold , proving manufacturers didn't need to mess around with funky aspect ratios before Samsung achieved unprecedented levels of thinness with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 earlier this summer.
However, there's one thing that has become a standard feature on standard high-end smartphones that hasn't been available on foldables until now: top-tier dust resistance. That changes now thanks to the IP68 rating on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Not only does this solve one of the biggest shortcomings of foldables overall, but it gives you additional protection against one of life's everyday foibles. So while Google's latest flexible phone isn't nearly as slim or sleek as the Z Fold 7, it is the best option for folks who prefer a tankier device.
Google / Engadget 88 100 Expert Score The tankiest foldable phone Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold It might not be super thin, but the Pixel 10 Pro Fold still has the best cameras of any flexible phone, slick software and now added durability thanks to the first IP68 rating on any foldable. Pros Great cameras
IP68 rating
Improved software and multitasking
Pixelsnap charging Cons Big and heavy
Expensive
Lackluster high-end performance
No Pro Res Zoom $1,799 at Amazon
Design: A new level of durability
While the Pixel 10 Pro Fold (P10PF from here on out) might look like a carbon copy of last year's phone, there are a handful of subtle changes throughout. Google shrunk its hinge and made it more durable. It also shaved down parts of its aluminum frame — specifically the border to the left of its outside screen. As for the displays themselves, they're even brighter than before at 3,000 nits (up from 2,700 nits) while the size of P10PF's exterior panel has increased slightly to 6.4 inches (0.1 inches larger) by reclaiming some space that used to be bezel. And I still love the P10PF's 8-inch main screen for watching movies and reading comics, even with the cutout for its interior selfie cam in the top right corner. That said, if the presence of a rounded corner encapsulated by a right angle messes with your OCD tendencies, Google still hasn't found a fix for that.
The biggest shortcoming of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold may be its thickness, because at 10.8mm compared to just 8.9mm for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it's significantly heavier and bulkier to carry around. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
As for the P10PF’s IP68 rating, which denotes the phone's ability to withstand intrusion from dust and immersion in water, this upgrade might not sound like a huge deal. But as someone whose daily driver was a Pixel 9 Pro Fold last year, I was sure to toss it in a waterproof bag when I went to the beach. That's because even though I had no intentions of actually swimming with it, I wanted to make sure sand wouldn't find its way inside. The sound of dust, dirt or other particles grinding in a foldable's hinge is deeply unpleasant and should be avoided at all costs. And thanks to the addition of a proper IP rating, you don't need to treat the P10PF like the Bubble Boy every time you want to enjoy a day at the shore.
Advertisement Advertisement
After Google debuted an all-new design on last year's phone, it's probably a bit much to ask for a full revamp 12 months later. Sadly, this means its size and weight haven't changed much, with the P10PF coming in at 9.1 ounces (258 grams) and 10.8mm thick when closed. If this phone had come out back in the spring, that might not have been an issue. However, with the arrival of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its wonderfully thin and light design (7.6 ounces and 8.9mm when closed), it's hard to go back once you've experienced a foldable phone that doesn't have any of that excess heft. While I appreciate the added durability and tankiness we're getting now, here's hoping Google can put all of this in a leaner chassis next fall. Lastly, while the rest of the Pixel 10 family is going full eSIM for this generation, I appreciate that the P10PF still comes with a physical SIM card tray.
Performance and software: Fast but not great for gaming
Don't mess with Teemo or else he will throw a mushroom at you. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
Like its pro siblings, the P10PF comes with a Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. In everyday use, that's more than enough oomph to make everything feel swift and snappy. Meanwhile, the arrival of Google's Material 3 Expressive UI update makes the whole phone feel even more lively, which makes even simple things like flipping between apps or customizing your homescreen that much more enjoyable.
However, in terms of graphics performance, Google's Tensor G5 still can't quite keep up with flagship silicon from Qualcomm and its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. That's because the Pixel 10 Pro Fold just isn't the best choice for hardcore gaming despite improved loading speeds. Unfortunately, a number of our regular tests like Geekbench 6 aren't available (as we're reviewing the phone prior to its official release), which makes getting concrete numbers a bit tricky. When running those apps on the Pixel 10 Pro XL (which features the same chip and memory), the Tensor G5 produced a multi-core score of 6,091 on Geekbench's Compute test. That’s more than 30 percent lower than what we got from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (9,271).
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
I wouldn't necessarily mark this down as a dealbreaker, as the P10PF's less prodigious performance isn't something you'll notice all the time. But if you do a lot of mobile video editing or hardcore gaming, that does make Google's latest foldable harder to recommend compared to the Z Fold 7.
Advertisement Advertisement
On the bright side, Google has added some enhanced multitasking features, most notably a new split-screen UI that lets you choose exactly how big you want two apps to be when opened in split-screen mode. Furthermore, you can leave one app open in a tiny sliver on either side and tap to quickly switch between the two, sort of like the card-based UI OnePlus created for the Open . It's very handy and makes it easy to flip back and forth between things like emails and messages or your calendar, though I really wish Google would give us the ability to permanently pin the P10PF's taskbar to the bottom of the screen like you can on Samsung's handset.
The new UI for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera app makes much better use of the phone's big flexible screen. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
Advertisement Advertisement
Elsewhere, there's a new layout in the camera app that better utilizes the phone's main screen by putting the camera's viewfinder on the right while your photo roll appears on the left. This gives you an instant, big-picture view of every photo as soon as you take it without stopping you from setting up for the next shot. And for people who need extra help getting a good reaction from kids while posing for a shot, Google has also added some fresh animations to its Made You Look feature.
Cameras: Still the best among foldables
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold has the same rear cameras as its predecessor: a 48MP main cam, a 10.5MP ultra-wide and a 10.8MP telephoto cam with a 5x optical zoom. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
While the cameras on the P10PF are the same as the ones in its predecessor, it's still the best way to capture sharp, colorful and detailed pics with a foldable phone. During the day, the P10PF consistently captured more accurate hues and tones than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (which has a tendency to exaggerate rich colors). And in low light, Google's Night Sight mode remains unmatched.
In a tricky shot of a money cat taken in very low light, the P10PF's photo was noticeably brighter and more detailed, while a pic of some spooky skeletons was sharper and featured richer colors. On top of that, the Z Fold 7 tops out with a 3x telephoto zoom, but the Pro Fold sports a 5x optical lens that gives you more reach for long-distance images.
Normally Samsung phones shoot great pics of subjects like this thanks to an automatic food setting, however the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's pic is less over sharpened and has more true to life colors. During the day, both phones captured vibrant images and while there are subtle differences between the two, there's very little to complain about from either handset. In this shot you can see Samsung's tendency to exaggerate certain hues like the yellow and green tones on the plants. In this shot over the Hudson River, both the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 7 produced great photos. In very dark environments, Google's Night Sight mode continues to outshoot all of its rivals. While close, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold edged out the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in this head to head thanks to sharper details and more balanced colors. In this comparison, Google's Night Sight low-light mode produced a significantly brighter shot with much more accurate white balance. For those who like taking telephoto shots, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's 5x optical zoom gives you more flexible than the 3x lens on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. 1 / 8 Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold camera sample vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Normally Samsung phones shoot great pics of subjects like this thanks to an automatic food setting, however the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's pic is less over sharpened and has more true to life colors.
If that wasn't enough, Google also gave the P10PF the ability to edit images solely using your voice, which is not only a time saver but a fantastic option for anyone who doesn't want to fiddle around with toggles and sliders to enhance their photos. Sadly, the coolest new feature from the Pixel 10 Pro line — Pro Res Zoom — isn't available on the Pro Fold, so you have to settle for a max zoom range of 20x instead of 100x.
Battery life: A bigger cell and PixelSnap
Packing a 5,015mAh cell, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's battery is nearly 10 percent larger than last year's model, which resulted in notable gains on our local video rundown test. When using its exterior display, it lasted just over 27 hours (27:02), almost an hour longer than what we got from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (26:22). Naturally, the P10PF doesn't last nearly as long when using its larger interior display. However, with a time of 21:20, that still leaves a lot of room for activities .
Even if you don't use it for charging, being able to slap magnetic accessories on the back of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is super useful. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
When it comes to recharging, the Fold has gotten some upgrades there too. Wired speeds have risen slightly to 30 watts (up from 21 watts), while wireless rate has doubled to 15 watts. This comes thanks in large part to Google's newfound support of the Qi2 standard, which also brings compatibility for magnetic accessories. That means now you can use the kind of accessories iPhone owners have enjoyed for years (Google calls this feature PixelSnap on its phones) and alongside its new IP68 rating, this might be one of the biggest upgrades to the phone's general usability.
Wrap-up
The addition of proper dust and water resistance on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has removed one of the last two shortcomings of modern foldables, which is no mean feat. However, at $1,799, the price barrier is still hard to overcome for most folks. On top of that, when compared to its biggest rival, it'd be a mistake for anyone interested in big and expensive flexible phones to ignore the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Its super sleek design simply cannot be denied. Plus, higher performance, more freedom to open additional windowed apps and the option for a permanently pinned taskbar make Samsung's rival the preferred pick for gamers and power users.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
When it comes to the category as a whole, the P10PF offers the best photo toolkit around. There’s also Google's excellent (and ever-growing) stable of handy AI-powered features and my preferred skin for Android 16. Factor in longer battery life, improved multitasking and true Qi2 wireless support for the first time on any foldable, and you have a recipe for a versatile and surprisingly rugged flexible phone.