Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterTop pickGoogle’s phablet-style foldable delivers the highest durability rating of any foldable, plus brighter displays, long battery life, and excellent cameras. It also comes with the latest AI-powered features included in the standard Pixel 10 lineup.The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is Google’s most durable foldable phone yet. It also provides the latest processor, useful AI features, a bigger battery, and seven years of both software and security updates. This foldable is a great option if you want a device that offers the convenience of easily swapping between a traditional smartphone and a small tablet. The main display has two layers of film for additional drop protection. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterIt’s the most durable foldable phone yet. The most noteworthy upgrade in the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is its improved durability. Unlike its predecessor, which has an IPX8 rating, the latest version has an IP68 rating for full dust protection and water resistance — as a result, it’s as durable as current standard flagship phones. Google also included a new gearless hinge that the company says is twice as durable as the hinge on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It’s coupled with a redesigned main display, which has two layers of film for added drop protection. The company claims these upgrades guarantee that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold can withstand over a decade’s worth of folding.While that doesn’t mean you should be careless with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, it isn’t as vulnerable to damage as previous models. In our testing, we appreciated not having to worry as much about small particles potentially damaging the device, and we treated it as we would any other smartphone. We placed it on our bathroom counter while doing makeup, put it on the kitchen table while eating, threw it in a tote bag (where we often carry snacks), and reached for it to check notifications in the shower, without thinking twice. It also survived a coffee spill, as well as an accidental drop from a desk. At 6.4 inches, the cover display is slightly larger than that of the previous model. It’s comfortable for sending texts or scrolling through social media. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterThe cover screen and interior display are bright and perfect for scrolling. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a 6.4-inch, 1080×2364-resolution AMOLED cover screen with a refresh rate up to 120 Hz. It doesn’t represent a major difference from the 6.3-inch cover display on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and it isn’t as big as the 6.5-inch screen on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7, but it does offer plenty of space for comfortably scrolling through social media apps or sending texts, Slack messages, and emails. It’s also brighter, capable of reaching 3,000 nits of peak brightness — up from 2,700 nits — which makes viewing content on your phone in direct sunlight a lot easier.The Pixel 10 Pro Fold opens up to an 8-inch 2076×2152-resolution main screen, the same as on last year’s model. It’s just as bright as the cover display, with the same 3,000-nit max-brightness upgrade, and scrolling is just as smooth with the 120 Hz refresh rate. We relied on the main display for tasks that warranted a bigger screen, namely watching YouTube videos, reading ebooks, shopping online, and taking video calls.The Pixel 10 Pro Fold has an improved IP68 rating and a new gearless hinge that’s twice as durable as that of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterWith a matte-glass back and aluminum trim, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a high-end design that matches the look of the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterThe Pixel 10 Pro Fold has an improved IP68 rating and a new gearless hinge that’s twice as durable as that of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterIt has surprisingly lengthy battery life. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes with a large, 5,015 mAh battery, which is bigger than the 4,650 mAh battery on its predecessor. After taking the phone off the charger at 3 p.m., we still had 50% battery left by 1 a.m. In addition to sending texts throughout the day and using Google Maps, we took a 90-minute video call and a couple of 10-minute phone calls, and we streamed Spotify for an hour. We also scrolled through social media feeds, including Instagram and TikTok. By 6:45 a.m. the next morning, it still had about 37% battery left. We consistently hit almost 24 hours before having to plug it back in again. That’s double the amount of time we reached with the Galaxy Z Fold7, which has a smaller, 4,400 mAh battery. Android’s adaptive battery mode promises to help extend that life even further, but it takes a couple of weeks to learn your phone usage.The Pixel 10 Pro Fold charges quickly, too. Google claims the device can charge up to 50% in about 30 minutes on a charging brick of 30 W or more. We used it with the company’s new 67 W Pixel Flex Dual Port charging brick (sold separately) and found that it took 35 minutes to charge from 0% to 50%. The main display is expansive enough for Split Screen mode, where you can use two apps side by side. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterIt offers great performance with Google’s latest Tensor chip. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is powered by Google’s latest processor, the Tensor G5, and 16 GB of RAM. In our tests, it delivered smooth performance, whether we were using the device for multitasking and using apps in Split Screen mode, editing photos, doing some light mobile gaming, scrolling through TikTok and Instagram, or using any of the built-in AI features like Gemini Live or Camera Coach. As with its predecessor, the base model of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold starts at 256 GB, but you now have the option of up to 1 TB of storage.It comes with the same AI features as the rest of the Pixel 10 models. The Tensor G5 chip enables the same AI features introduced on the standard Pixel 10 lineup, many of which are useful in daily life. The features include Edit with Ask Photos, which edits your photos via custom prompts you provide; Take a Message, which transcribes voicemails for missed calls; Camera Coach, which helps you capture the best photo by providing step-by-step instructions; and Pixel Journal, where you can store journal entries and take advantage of the AI-generated prompts for writing inspiration.It also comes with support for Magic Cue, a feature that uses AI to surface contextual suggestions based on the task. For example, when a friend texted us asking for someone’s phone number, the number surfaced above the keyboard. Meanwhile, when another friend reminded us about picking up a prescription, a Google Keep note icon appeared, prompting us to create a reminder. It works in Google Maps too: When we searched for train times to Penn Station, we opened the Maps app, and a suggestion for Penn Station surfaced.According to Google, it should take at least 24 hours before you see the contextual suggestions appear, mainly because the phone needs to process the backlog of information on your device (including emails, texts, calendar invites, and more). The rear camera system consists of a 48-megapixel main camera, a 10.5-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto lens. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterIt has a reliable triple-camera system. On the back of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold are a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 10.5-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto lens. Both the cover display and the main display come equipped with 10-megapixel front-facing cameras. These are the same selfie and rear cameras featured on the Pixel 10 and on last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Despite the lack of hardware changes, Google’s Tensor G5 chip has an updated imaging signal processor for improved on-device AI processing of photos and videos. We preferred this camera system’s results over those of the 200-megapixel main camera on the Galaxy Z Fold7. In our tests, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold delivered high-quality photos with accurate color balance, vibrant saturation, and crisp details. The Galaxy Z Fold7 performed well in comparison, but we found that the tones skewed softer and more muted. With Instant View, you can see a preview of your photos in real time without leaving the camera app. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterGoogle also introduced a feature called Instant View, which allows you to preview your photos while using the camera app when the device is unfolded. When you snap a photo, it automatically appears on the left side of the screen, which gives you the ability to swipe through them all, while the viewfinder stays on the right. You can also tap an image to share it or edit it within the app. It’s a minor feature, but it’s a better alternative to tapping a photo within the Photos app just to check whether you need to fix the angle or lighting and take it again. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold has support for Pixelsnap technology, which allows you to use it with third-party magnetic accessories. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterIt’s more comfortable to hold than the Galaxy Z Fold7. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a lot thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold7. Whereas this model measures 0.4 inch folded and 0.2 inch unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold7 measures 0.32 inch and 0.15 inch, respectively. That doesn’t seem like a substantial difference on paper, but it’s noticeable in person. Even so, we prefer the thicker Pixel 10 Pro Fold, as it’s a lot easier to hold one-handed, especially when we have it open to the main screen. Although the camera bump is also on the thicker side, it didn’t cause the phone to rock back and forth as much as the corresponding bump on the Galaxy Z Fold7, specifically while we were using the device unfolded on a surface. As a result, we found ourselves using the main screen on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold far more often than we did on the Galaxy Z Fold7.It will get updates until 2032. Matching the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will receive security upgrades, new Pixel features, and Android updates for the next seven years.It’s more affordable than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold starts at $1,800 for the 256 GB model, while the 1 TB option costs $2,149. The Galaxy Z Fold7, on the other hand, costs $2,000 for the 256 GB configuration and $2,500 for the 1 TB option. Seeing as how foldable phones are already more expensive than standard smartphones, it’s always a plus to be able to save money without sacrificing features.It supports Google’s Pixelsnap technology. Google introduced Pixelsnap, its new wireless-charging technology, with the Pixel 10 lineup. Pixelsnap allows you to attach accessories magnetically to the back of the device. We appreciate that Google added it to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold as well. It was nice to be able to attach the phone to our car mount while driving and to use it with a PopSocket, which made the device a lot more comfortable to hold when it was unfolded. You can use it with Google’s own accessories, such as the $40 Pixelsnap Charger, the $70 Pixelsnap Charger with Stand, the $30 Pixelsnap Ring Stand, and the $70 Pixelsnap Case. But you can also use it with third-party accessories, including those that are compatible with Apple’s MagSafe.Flaws but not dealbreakersIt doesn’t come with Pro Res Zoom like the Pixel 10 Pro models. Both the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL come with Pro Res Zoom, a generative-AI feature that allows you to take photos at up to 100x zoom without losing any detail. Since this feature is exclusive to the Pro Pixel models, we wish it applied to the foldable version as well — especially since the foldable phone costs more than the Pixel 10 Pro. This phone does come with Google’s Super Res Zoom, which delivers optical-quality zoom at up to 20x, but it isn’t as impressive as the Pro Res Zoom feature.The matte back scratches easily. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold looks as high-end as the standard Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, with a glass back and matte coating, along with a matte aluminum frame. But we found that it scratches easily, and the scratches are a lot more noticeable on the green color option. If you don’t want to put a case on it, we suggest going with the darker gray color so that scratches don’t stand out as much.
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