This is the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. And if you’re wondering if this is the foldable that gets everything right, well, not exactly, but it does get a lot of things right.
So, in this article, you’ll find out the reasons why you might want to get it and the reasons why you should not.
The Good
Let’s start with the good stuff first, because if you love clean software, this one is for you.
It comes with zero bloatware, and even Google’s own apps like Google Keep or Docs are not pre-installed. So, you get to decide what you need on your phone, not Google. So, no need to uninstall 20 random apps that you will never use.
Performance-wise, it’s super responsive, even if you’re switching between the screens as well. Typing feels very natural with excellent haptic feedback, whether or not it’s folded or even unfolded. Also, you’ll love the keyboard layout when it’s unfolded; it makes typing surprisingly comfortable.
And because Google made Gemini Live and other Gemini features very reliable in this and all of the Google Pixel 10 series phones, you can count on the AI assistant to understand you. And yes, it is more stable than Siri. (Sorry, Siri, you had just one job)
If you’re ever used to another foldable, you’ll know how annoying it can be when your cover screen does not look anything like your main screen. Well, here Google fixed that because the cover screen and the inner screen share the same layout, the apps, widgets, and everything. So you don’t need to redo your home screen even if you fold it or even unfold it.
The app continuity is also on point where you can start writing on Google Docs folded, then you can unfold the phone and continue on seamlessly. And you can even start a YouTube video unfolded and then fold it, and it keeps playing. That is what a foldable is supposed to do. It’s that kind of a small detail that makes you actually use this particular bigger screen, not to just show off.
Then the aspect ratio of the cover display when the phone is folded does feel a little more like a phone, not like the narrow layout of the Z Fold7. For those of you who like to work on the go, this folding mini laptop mode is a real win because it’s perfect for typing documents or watching YouTube videos with controls neatly down below.
And even the control center and the notification layout on this unfolded makes pure sense while having both the control center and the notification center showing at the same time.
Then, as for the cameras, during the day, the photos are sharp, vibrant, and clear up to 10x zoom. At night, it still holds up beautifully until about 5x zoom.
As for the selfie, both the day and the nighttime shots look fantastic, especially when you use the rear cameras for a selfie where it really shines with the natural bokeh, clean skin tones, and a level of detail that you don’t usually get from the front camera.
Then the portrait shots at 1x and 2x zoom are also really good both for people and objects as well. And you will get the signature Pixel color tone and contrast.
[Check out the video footage on my YouTube video]
Then as for videos, the main and the ultra-wide cameras during the day were great. But at night, that’s where things start to dip a little. Well, I’ll come back to the not-so-good section later on.
But here’s something pleasantly surprising, which is the phone’s battery life. Because after a full day of mixed use:
- It ended Day 1 at 4 hours and 36 minutes at about 11:55 p.m. with still 35% left
- I woke up at 7:34 a.m. with barely any drain at 32%
- And then I was at 11% battery at 4:17 p.m. with another 2 hours and 17 minutes of screen on time
So that’s a total of 6 hours and 53 minutes of screen-on time, almost 7, compared to only getting about 5 hours on the Z Fold7.
Then as for the stereo speakers, it was very clear and balanced. Whether or not it’s folded or unfolded, you’ll actually enjoy watching content on this without needing any earbuds.
But here are the little things that make this foldable very thoughtful. First is the “Made You Look“, this helps to get your kids to look at the camera by showing a cartoon style animation on the cover screen. Parents, you know how valuable that this can be, and it will be when my son says hello to this world.
Then there’s also the “Preview Photos” while shooting where you can see how your shot looks while taking it unfolded. So yeah, these are the little things that add to a smoother daily experience, the kind that actually makes you want to use the foldable screen more often.
The Bad
But here are the reasons why you might NOT want to get the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Because if you’re expecting something sleek and ultra modern, this Pixel Fold isn’t it.
The design looks outdated, especially around the bezels and the corners. It’s also thicker than most foldables today: thicker than the Z Fold7, the vivo X5 Fold, and even the HUAWEI Mate X6.
And yes, the crease is also very visible, one of the most noticeable ones among all the current foldables.
And even durability is not good. You might have seen Zack from JerryRigEverything literally break this by hand. So if you are rough on phones, you might want to think twice. That said, this is the very first foldable to have an IP68 rating.
Beyond the design and durability issues, you might also notice some camera inconsistencies because photos beyond 20x zoom are pretty much unusable. Also, the 2x video and above is not so great, just like the Pixel 10.
And while the front video had decent dynamic range, the skin tones can look a bit washed out or pasty, and the ultra-wide or the main videos at night can be very noisy. So if you shoot a lot of videos, this might not be the foldable for you.
Conclusion
If you want a foldable and nails the software, give you reliable performance, solid battery life, and amazing still photos, this Pixel 10 Pro Fold deserves your attention.
But if you care more about sleek design, durability, or pro-level video, you might want to wait for the next generation because this one still has some growing up to do.
[Watch the full video on YouTube here]
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