YouTube When Google launched the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, I was genuinely impressed. Finally, a foldable phone with IP68 water and dust resistance, a first for the category. It felt like a landmark moment for foldable phones, with Google proving that the form factor could be as tough as traditional smartphones. I was even happy to overlook its slightly bulky frame and familiar design because the promise of durability seemed worth it. Is your confidence in the Pixel 10 Pro Fold shaken after watching JerryRigEverything's durability test? 33 votes Yes 64 % No 21 % I haven't made up my mind 15 % My Moonstone-colored Pixel 10 Pro Fold looked stunning out of the box, and the new software tricks add some real charm to the experience. But after watching Zack Nelson’s brutal JerryRigEverything durability test, I’m not sure how I feel about the phone now. Watching Google’s most ambitious foldable literally go up in smoke has been painful to say the least, and the “Pro” in its name suddenly feels a bit unsuited. Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below. A problem three generations in the making Joe Maring / Android Authority As Nelson pointed out, this isn’t a one-off flaw. Google has kept the same antenna line placement on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold as it had on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and even the original Pixel Fold. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same weak point that keeps snapping across generations. Why Google hasn’t fixed this design flaw is anyone’s guess. But it does suggest a worrying trend: Google doesn’t seem to approach its foldable lineup with the same engineering rigor it applies to its standard Pixel phones. Meanwhile, Samsung continues to refine its foldables, addressing weaknesses year after year. Google, on the other hand, appears to be standing still. That’s risky, especially since consumer trust in foldable durability remains fragile. No one wants to spend beyond flagship money on a device that might snap, or worse, combust, after a minor accident. Gearless hinge, but to what benefit? Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Fully hermetic hinge on Pixel 10 Pro Fold Google made a big deal about its new gearless hinge this year. According to its own blog post, replacing gears with mechanical CAMs allowed the engineers to slim down the mechanism, fit a bigger battery, and make the fold smoother. On paper, it sure does sound like the right move. But despite Google’s IP68 rating, Nelson’s test showed that dust easily infiltrated the hinge, creating a grinding noise that didn’t go away. For a phone marketed as a durability milestone, that’s not just disappointing, it’s concerning. And it’s not only Nelson’s lab-style stress test that revealed the problem. The Verge’s Allison Johnson took the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to the beach for a real-world photo session and found that sand got everywhere, including inside the hinge, which began making the same unsettling crunching sound. If dust or debris compromises the hinge, no amount of clever engineering elsewhere can save the experience. The one bit of good news is that Johnson managed to clear out most of the grit using compressed air, and the phone continued working afterward. Still, most regular users won’t have the tools or the patience to do that. The fact that sand can get in so easily, even on a supposedly water- and dust-resistant foldable, is a serious red flag. A foldable’s hinge is literally its lifeline. If dust or debris compromises it, no amount of clever engineering elsewhere can save the experience. So, while the new hinge might be a technical innovation, it’s of little comfort if it can’t survive the real world. And finally, the explosive end No one expects a phone to literally catch fire during a stress test, and yet, that’s exactly what happened to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Sure, Zack Nelson’s tests are intentionally extreme, but many flagship devices have emerged with only scratches and scuffs. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold, however, ended the test in a puff of smoke. The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, but Nelson, who has been testing devices for over a decade, admitted he’d never seen anything quite like it. When the most durable foldable yet fails in the most dramatic way possible, confidence takes a serious hit. Despite all this, I still think the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has plenty going for it. Its display is gorgeous, and Google’s software polish is undeniable. I’ll also probably never torture the device the way Nelson does in his videos, but when your “most durable foldable yet” fails in the most dramatic way possible, confidence takes a serious hit. Google has shown it can innovate, but now it needs to listen, learn, and rebuild — both hardware and trust. Until that happens, every creak, crunch, or whiff of heat from my Pixel 10 Pro Fold will have me wondering if the end is near. Follow