Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Catching Fire — Should You Be Worried?

“Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Catching Fire” — this is a title Google could’ve easily done without.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is making news for the wrong reason. The device recently had a dramatic failure during a bend test, smoking up in the process and making Google’s durability claims appear not so tall after all.

Zack Nelson, host of the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything, subjected the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to his rigourous durability test. The device broke apart during the bend test — reportedly becoming the first smartphone in a decade to explode on camera.

Which may make you wonder: Is the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold even safe? Let’s see what exactly happened and should you be worried.

According to Nelson, unlike its predecessor — the Pixel 9 Pro Fold — which snapped in half, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold faced more severe damage. For starters, the cover display, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, showed scratches at level 6 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, with deeper scratches at level 7.

The inner screen proved susceptible to scratches, even from a fingernail. Scraping the phone’s outer edges caused the colour coating to peel off during the test.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold boasts the first-ever IP68 rating for dust and water resistance among foldables, and it proved quite capable when Nelson applied sand and dust to the inner screen. However, there was a noticeable crunching sound of sand within the hinge.

During Nelson’s standard burn test, the phone held up, but the bend test proved dramatic. Google claims the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s redesigned hinge can endure a decade of inward folding. However, it snapped when bent outward — not at the hinge but along the antenna lines on the left side. 

The situation escalated when further bending caused the device to smoke and dramatically break apart on camera. Nelson remarked that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold was “by far the weakest folding smartphone I’ve ever tested.” 

The good news: It’s highly unlikely you would ever treat your Pixel 10 Pro Fold like Nelson did during the test. In daily usage, the device won’t bend like that even if you’re stuffing in your rear pocket. You’re also unlikely to bury it in sand (or bury sand in it) and then repeatedly fold it to get some crunch. 

During the test, everything from the antenna line to the battery was subjected to extreme pressure, causing the lithium-ion battery to likely bend, puncture, and explode. Again, this is not something you would do in real life, and any phone’s battery may explode if bent.

Safe to say, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is safe to use — unless you wish to bend it like Nelson!