The New Pixel 10 Pro Fold Is a Bit Thick, but Boasts Increased Durability

With the recent release of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the standard for folding phones is thinner than ever before. That's why it's a bit odd that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold looks so similar to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. But while this year's model looks like a fairly incremental upgrade on the surface, dig a little deeper, and you'll notice that most of the phone's specs have been overhauled.

Some things have stayed the same Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

I'll start off with what hasn't been changed, since there's not that much to go through. Maybe the most disappointing thing about the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is that it's got the same size and weight as its predecessor. That means it's 6.1 inches tall and 3.0 inches wide, as well as 0.4 inches thick when closed and 0.2 inches thick when unfolded. While not excessively hefty, especially with the weight only coming up to 0.57 pounds, it's still much bulkier than Samsung's option, which set a new standard when it released late last month. If you want the absolute thinnest folding phone around, this won't be it.

Internally, the memory is also the same as on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, at 16GB of RAM. Additionally, while Google told me that the 48MP main camera on the rear of the phone is new," the specs sheet seems to match the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's camera setup, with a 48MP main camera, a 10.5MP ultrawide camera, and a 10.8MP telephoto camera. I've reached out to Google for additional details about that discrepancy and will update this post once I hear back.

And that's about it as far as specs that haven't been improved in some way. Inside and out, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is almost entirely new. Here's what's worth paying attention to.

A new chip and more storage options

Like the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is upgrading to Google's first fully custom chip, the Tensor G5. Google's in-house chips specialize in power efficiency and AI, but have historically lacked in power elsewhere. With the G5, Google has an opportunity to correct that oversight, and while I haven't been able to test drive it yet, the company says the new chip is 60% more efficient on AI and has a 34% faster CPU overall.

That kind of power bump could make downloading heavyweight apps like games a lot more worthwhile, which is why it's good that there's now a 1TB storage option as well, in addition to the previously available 256GB and 512GB options.

Bigger, brighter, and more durable screens Pixel 10 Pro Fold cover screen (left) and internal screen (right) Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Maybe the biggest upgrades this time around are to the foldable's all-important screens. While the phone's main, internal screen seems the same on the surface, there are improvements both inside and out.

Starting off with pure numbers, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's cover screen, which you'll use while the phone is folded, is now a little bigger at 6.4 inches as opposed to 6.3 inches on the last model. The aspect ratio is still 20:9, meaning it won't quite match the wider, 21:9 field of view on non-folding phones, but thinner bezels are always appreciated. It's also brighter now, at up to 3,000 nits peak brightness compared to 2,700 nits on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, although the refresh rate still caps out at 120Hz.

The internal screen, or the main screen that you'll use when unfolding the phone, is mostly the same, still coming in at 8 inches with the same 120Hz refresh rate. Looking just at the numbers, the only noticeable difference is that the peak brightness is also now 3,000 nits, as opposed to 2,700 nits on last year's model.

Numbers don't tell the whole story, though. Foldable screens can be notoriously finicky, and Google says it's re-engineered the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's internal screen to be more durable, with ultra-thin glass and two-layers of anti-impact film." That doesn't mean a lot to me, but what does is that Google's promising the phone will be able to hold up to over 10 years of folding, which is a massive improvement over the issues the first Pixel Fold famously had. Google's even managed to get an IP68 dust and water resistance rating for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, something Samsung couldn't do with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Dust can wreak havoc on folding phone screens if they get stuck in between them when they're closed, so some promised resistance to it should go a long way towards peace of mind.

Higher battery life

As on the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, Google's promising increased battery life on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, up from a promised 24-ish hours to around 30ish hours. Those kind of promises depend on how you use your phone, so stay tuned for a more concrete test once I've gotten some more time with the device. What I can say for now is that the battery capacity itself is at least bigger, at a typical 5,015 mAh vs. 4,650 mAh on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Fast charging is also promised to be able to hit up to 50% in about 30 minutes over a 30W wireless charger, whereas the Pixel 9 Pro Fold needed a 45W charger.

Pixelsnap

Maybe my favorite addition to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is Google's version of MagSafe, called Pixelsnap. Also being introduced on the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, Pixelsnap uses Qi2 charging and allows compatible chargers to magnetically snap right onto your device, to wireless charge at speeds of up to 25W, no adhesive magnetic rings required.

Google says it's working with a number of partners for Pixelsnap compatible accessories, but for now, it's also releasing three of its own. There's the Pixelsnap Charger, a small puck that lays flat, the Pixelsnap Charger with Stand, which is the same thing but with a vertical stand you can slide the puck into, and the Pixelsnap Ring Stand. The Ring Stand is unique in that it doesn't charge your phone, but does hold it up for you, in either portrait or landscape mode.

All Pixel cases this year are also Pixelsnap compatible.

Software improvements

While most of Google's software improvements this year are focused on AI, which works generally across its phones, there are also a couple of tweaks that make the Pixel 10 Pro Fold specifically a bit more usable.

For instance, split-screen mode now lets you adjust an app's size, in addition to allowing you to drag and drop files or photos across open apps.

Compatible apps-mostly games like Asphalt Legends and Disney Speedstorm-also continue to offer dual-screen modes, which display the gameplay on one half of the screen and the racetrack's map on the other half. Google says it is working with more developers to increase the amount of apps that work with this feature.

But what's possibly the most useful is Instant View, which allows you to preview photos in full right after taking them. It works while your phone is unfolded, and displays the normal camera app UI on one half of the screen, and the previewed photo on the other half.

Pixel 10 Pro Fold pricing and availability Pixel 10 Pro Fold rear (left) and internal screen (right) Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Good news: The Pixel 10 Pro Fold doesn't cost anything more than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, starting at $1,799 across both available colors. Those include gray (moonstone) and lime green (Jade). Pre-orders are available now, but unlike the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, the Pro Fold won't hit shelves until Oct. 9.

All in all, the 10 Pro Fold is shaping up to be an impressive update on the 9 Pro Fold, assuming you don't want the thinnest foldable on the market. It's certainly boasting higher durability than most of the competitors, so stay tuned for my full review to see how that pans out, as well as how the new Tensor G5 chip holds up to benchmarking.