Google's third attempt at making a foldable sees it get a few things right. Here's our Pixel 10 Pro Fold review.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is priced at Rs. 1,72,999
Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source
It has been a while since foldables took centre stage as the most premium devices in any smartphone brand's lineup of products. Apple has yet to showcase its first foldable (which it has been working on for a while), a move that is expected to give a boost to this smartphone segment that seems stuck in the doldrums when it comes to consumer adoption. At the same time, there is a new breed of foldable by Huawei that was launched in China last year, but went global this year. The “tri-folds” as they are currently referred to, are indeed what everyone dreamt foldables would be. A smartphone-sized device that, like something out of Westworld, would open up into a full-sized rectangular tablet serving two use cases.
As we wait for Samsung to announce its first tri-folding device, we have Google, which has come up with its third iteration of the Pixel Fold, now called the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. While it looks the same as last year's Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Google has, in many ways, overhauled its innards to a great extent. There's a new gearless game-changing hinge and magnetic wireless charging in the form of Pixel Snap as well. While it sounds like a big leap in terms of durability and practicality for foldables in general, Google has been a bit slow to deliver on the foldable software front (even though it is the one that makes Android as we know it). Have things changed? And have the cameras improved to “Pro” standards? Read on to find out!
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Design: Big updates… on the inside
- Dimensions
- Folded – 155.2 X 76.3 X 10.8mm
- Unfolded – 155.2 X 150.4 X 5.2mm
- Weight – 258g
- Durability – IP68
It may appear identical to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in terms of its overall design, but the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold has grown heavier by 1 gram. Google has maintained the 9 Pro Fold's design language and stuck with flat sides all over, whether it's the rear panel, the camera module or the frame. While I would have appreciated a new design year after year, it's interesting to see how Google has retained the older foldable's footprint but added plenty more on the inside.
Within the same footprint, Google has now squeezed in a higher capacity battery, a magnetic wireless charging system branded as ‘Pixel Snap', and a new hinge that allows the phone to resist both dust and water.
There sure is a lot banking on that new hinge. Google claims it's a breakthrough of sorts with its gear-less mechanism which, besides providing better durability, can also withstand dust and grains of sand—a first for the industry. The new hinge also lets the cover display spread out a bit, allowing it to be slightly bigger compared to the previous model.
That said, the phone isn't light and still weighs over a quarter of a kilo! This makes the Pixel 10 Pro Fold the heaviest smartphone in the segment. After using the other two, I can conclude that it does get quite tiring to hold up the Pixel after the new phone excitement dampens.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Display: A bit bigger but a lot brighter!
- Display size
- Cover – 6.4-inches, 1,080 X 2,364 pixels, full-HD+
- Main – 8.0-inches, 2,076 X 2,152 pixels
- Display type Cover – OLED (60-120Hz), Main – LTPO OLED (1-120Hz)
- Display protection – Cover: Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Main: UTG
As you can tell from the specifications listed above, the cover display has grown a wee bit bigger thanks to the extra space provided by the new hinge. The display produces near-accurate colours in the Natural colour mode, which I preferred over the punchy Adaptive screen colour mode that the phone defaults to. While I appreciate the slightly bigger display size, its borders are still quite thick compared to Samsung and Vivo's cover displays.
The main, folding display too has a chunky bezel, but this is somewhat in line with what other brands offer. You can feel the crease when using the panel, but it's not visible when the display is being used. Google has not improved anything in terms of durability, and I noticed no scratches or dents even after playing games on it during the testing period.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Software: The good, the bad and the ugly
- Android version – 16
- Software – Pixel UI
- Software commitment – 7 years OS + SMRs
If you have been using a smartphone with Android 15, Google's Pixel UI, which goes all out with its Material 3 Expressive design philosophy, will feel very different. There are tons of new jumpy animations and oversized typography where you won't expect it, and a smoother overall feel because of the new and smoother transitions. Things can get a bit outlandish depending on the colour palette you select, but you can tone things down using the contrast options.
As with every new Pixel smartphone, there are new AI features. Magic Cue works by pulling out useful and relevant data from Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, Messages, Keep notes, Screenshots and Contacts, and surfaces them as information chips precisely when needed. Once activated, it takes about a day (Google claims you should leave it overnight) for Magic Cue to process all of your data in your apps. Once all of the processing is done, the short and precise information chips should show up (with a rainbow outline) when you are typing or searching in the above-mentioned apps.
And that's how Magic Cue is supposed to work. But here are a few things I noticed
Firstly, you need to save the information if you want Magic Cue to suggest it to you. Secondly, while it will surprise you at times, there are instances when it does not “get the cue”. It will take its own sweet time when it comes to suggesting information chips, even if you are actively researching the same information in Google Maps, add it as a note in Keep and just took a screenshot of it in the Screenshots app.
Another reason for Magic Cue being not as useful, is the fact that nobody I know uses the Google Messages app for anything apart from receiving OTPs. India runs on WhatsApp and given that Magic Cue only works within Google's own apps, makes it less useful from the get go. However, given that GBoard also shows these cues, I do have hope that at some point, the feature may expand to third-party apps.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Performance: Does TSMC make a difference?
- Processor – Tensor G5, 3.78GHz, 3nm
- RAM – 16GB (LPDDR5X)
- Storage -256GB
A dampener of sorts for many who will reach out for the upgraded and improved Fold this year is the storage. Google retained the 16GB of RAM for valid reasons (multitasking and AI applications), but just like last year, sells only a 256GB variant of the foldable . For comparison, Vivo's X Fold 5 also retails in one option, but it comes with 16GB RAM + 512GB of storage, while Samsung offers 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options as well.
For reasons best known to Google, the company has blocked most of the benchmarking apps that we usually run for testing and comparison purposes. And so I was only able to run GFXBench, which showed scores of 43, 85 and 120 fps for its Car Chase, Manhattan 3.1 and T Rex test suites. While I was expecting better results from the TSMC-made Tensor G5 chip this year, the GFXBench scores were comparatively poor. For comparison, even the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold managed better with 78, 119 and 120 fps in the same tests!
While the limited benchmark scores did not impress, the phone chugged along just fine with no stuttering or hiccups when browsing through its software interface. The same applies to gaming. I played Call of Duty: Mobile at the default Very High graphics and Max frame rate settings, and the game was playable with no signs of struggle. Then I switched to Ultra mode, and it too worked smoothly with no visible problems. During normal usage both indoors and outdoors, the phone did not heat up. It did get hot when shooting 4K video, but nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to book-style foldables.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Cameras: Far from “Pro”
- Main camera – 48-megapixel (OIS), f/1.7 aperture, AF
- Telephoto camera – 10.8-megapixel (OIS), 5X optical, f/3.1 aperture, AF
- Ultra-wide camera – 10.5-megapixel, 0.5X, f/2.2 aperture, AF
- Selfie cameras – 10-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture, AF (cover/main)
For a smartphone priced upwards of Rs. 1,50,000, video quality is quite poor! Video captured at 4K resolution at 30 fps appears soft and dreamy, even though the dynamic range and colours appear just fine. They seriously lack clarity, as there's visible noise present even in the shadows when shooting in daylight. The same problems persist in low light, and even Google's Night Video Boost mode can't save the day.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Battery: Definitely better
- Battery capacity – 5,015mAh
- Wired charging – 30W
- Wireless charging – 15W
- Charger in the box – No
The 300mAh bump in battery capacity, along with the 3nm chipset, does make this foldable last a lot longer than last year's mode,l and I easily managed a whole day of heavy usage (calls, gaming and camera) and a little over a day with moderate (casual) use.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold in our HD video loop test lasted a solid 17 hours and 15 minutes on the cover display and 12 hours and 30 minutes on the main display, which is pretty impressive for a foldable. Last year's Pixel 9 Pro Fold in comparison lasted 12 hours and 50 minutes on the cover display and 8 hours and 8 minutes on the main display.
As for the wired charging speeds, they remain similar to the previous model, managing a full charge at a rather slow 1 hour and 40 minutes when plugged into a 100W GaN PD charger. You can achieve faster times by purchasing Google's own PPS charger, which is sold separately.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Verdict
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the foldable we should have got last year, as it would have given plenty of reasons for buyers to pick Google's foldable over Samsung's chubby design. But a lot changed with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 this year, and given the Pixel's average cameras, it is a bit hard to recommend it unless you are willing to settle in a few areas.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 (from Rs. 1,74,999) lacks the IP68 rating of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. But it is a whole lot lighter and feels fantastic to hold with its super slim design. Samsung's 200-megapixel camera also offers better overall quality compared to the Pixel's dated hardware, which is in desperate need of an upgrade. The powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor is another win for Samsung, but the smaller battery, because of its slim design, may see a few pick the Pixel over a Samsung this year. Pixel Snap, which is currently a Pixel-exclusive feature, is not a necessity either. And lastly, the Pixel is the one to go for if you hate waiting for software updates and crib about bloatware.
The Vivo X Fold 5 is competitively priced at Rs. 1,49,999 and is packed to the brim with plenty of software features, including Origin Workbench, which makes working with multiple apps a lot easier compared to Samsung and Google's multitasking capabilities. Vivo's foldable also packs a bigger battery and charges faster than the other two.
While it's easy to recommend the Vivo X Fold 5 over both Samsung's and Google's foldables, it's wise to keep in mind that out of the three brands, only Samsung provides an extended care program , which comes handy if you accidentally drop the device. So, pick your next foldable wisely!
