Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
After introducing the three Pixel 10 series phones in August, Google last week launched the company's ultra-premium Pixel 10 Pro Fold in India.
It has several upgrades over the predecessor in terms of a new, faster Tensor G5 processor, a bigger battery and improved build quality. Here are my thoughts on the flagship foldable phone.
Design and build quality
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold sports a notebook-style design language, very similar to the predecessor. But, upon closer inspection, one can find minor, but meaningful tweaks.
The bezels on the cover display are a bit slimmer, and this has allowed Google to increase the functional screen from 6.3-inch in the previous iteration to 6.4-inch in the new model.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Also, the hinge is slimmer, but it is very sturdy. It is made of multi-alloy steel with an aerospace-grade high-strength aluminium alloy cover.
Google says the all-new gearless hinge of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has been tested rigorously for 500,000 folds. That’s equivalent to folding the phone 100 times a day for 10 years.
It also comes with an IP68 rating, a first for a foldable Pixel series phone. The device will be able to survive an accidental fall in a water body like a swimming pool for up to a depth of 1.5 metres (around five feet) for close to 30 minutes.
Further, the device's cover display and the back are protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus 2 shield. The frame around the screen is made of aluminium. And inside, the wide foldable display is safeguarded by an ultra-thin glass shield.
The mid-rails, the primary triple camera module and the back glass cover come with a smooth matte finish. They do a fine job of repelling the sweaty fingerprint smudges. However, the glossy chromium finish of the hinge gets stained quite easily.
Though Google has covered all bases for the device to last long, I still recommend getting a cover case. Though the device may survive a short fall on a hard surface, the metal rails will suffer dents, and it will lose the sheen of a premium phone.
It features stereo speakers (in landscape orientation) and they work exceptionally good for a foldable phone.
The only thing I can nitpick about the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's design is the placement of the fingerprint sensor above the volume rocker on the right side. My thumb intuitively reached for the latter in the lower half side to unlock the phone. It would have been better if it were the other way around.
On the bright side, the finger's muscle memory got used to it in a few days, and I reached for the right button at the top. By the way, the fingerprint sensor worked smoothly with a lower rejection rate.
Display
On the front, it sports a 6.4-inch Full HD+(1080 x 2364p) Actua OLED display with variable refresh rate (60-120 Hz), 20:9 aspect ratio, supports always-on display feature and offers up to 3,000 nits peak brightness.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Having used the super slim Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold feels a bit bulky (10.8mm thickness, when folded) to hold and operate. Most users will have to use two hands to send text messages and scroll on social media apps.
That said, the display quality is really good for watching TV series. But, it is even better when viewed on the big 8.0-inch QHD+(2076 x 2152p) Super Actua Flex OLED LTPO display inside.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
The wide screen supports a dynamic refresh rate (1-120 Hz), offering up to 3,000 nits peak brightness and has a pixel density of 373 pixels per second.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
To make good use of the wide inner screen, the feature-rich Android 16 UX offers a split screen option to allow users to operate multiple apps at time. For instance, users can continue watching a TV series and send text messages on the other end of the screen.
Like the other Pixel 10 series models, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold doesn't come with an anti-reflective coating. So, users when outdoors with direct sunlight above, have to take the phone's screen a little closer to the face to view the content.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Eco-friendly foldable phone
Google says that around 28 per cent of the materials used in the device's components are made of repurposed plastic and metal.
Performance
In India, the device is available only in one configuration option--16GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Like all the Pixel 10 series phones, this Fold version is powered by an advanced Tensor G5 silicon.
It is a 3nm class octa-core chipset with one 3.78 GHz Cortex-X4 core, five 3.05 GHz Cortex-A725 cores and two 2.25 GHz Cortex-A520 cores with PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It should be noted that Tensor G5 is co-designed by Google and the DeepMind team to run the latest Gemini Nano Large Language Model(LLM)-based applications on-device without the need for cloud connectivity.
The new Tensor G5 promises 34 per cent faster CPU performance and more than 60 per cent Tensor Processing Units (TPU) computing speed.
In terms of day-to-day activities, the device works buttery smooth. Also, the Material-3 Expressive UI of the Android 16 is fully optimised to run apps on both the cover display and the wide display inside the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The animations are lively when opening apps, and users will be able to set cool wallpapers with live effects on the lock screen.
Also, as noted earlier, there is an option to split the screen to run multiple apps. Users can easily drag and drop files, images and documents between apps seamlessly.
List of Gen AI features available on Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It supports a host of generative Artificial Intelligence (gen AI) features such as Pixel Studio to churn out images or videos, Gemini chatbot, AI live voice translations, Gemini Live, Pixel Screenshots, Writing Tools with smart editing (on Gboard keypad), Camera Coach, new Recorder app (with music creating tool), and more.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold supports gen AI-powered audio transcription feature and also users can create music with voice recordings.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
For now, the Voice Translate feature works when translating to or from English with Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian and Indonesian. More languages will be made available in the coming months.
Another exclusive AI feature coming with the Pixel 10 series is the Magic Cue. This feature will surface contextually relevant information on the screen whenever the user is using Google-account-linked apps such as Messages, Gmail, Flights, screenshots and more.
Consider a scenario where you and your friends have planned a trip, but just days before the D-day, one friend messages you to make some last-minute changes, and here's where Magic Cue kicks in and will intuitively bring the trip details within the app for easy reference. It will offer the phone number of the tour agency on the phone's screen within the message app to instantly make the call and change the itinerary.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
However, in India, most people use WhatsApp/Telegram for texting messages to friends, colleagues and family members, so Magic Cue will be of limited use for now.
Another new feature is the Camera Share on Gemini Live. It can assist your kid with his/her maths homework.
Just open Gemini Live and tap the camera. Then, point to a math problem and ask how to solve it, and the digital assistant will help with a step-by-step guide and offer a solution.
Recent studies have indicated that journaling daily is very beneficial to improve one's mental wellness. So, Google for the first time has introduced Journal app with the Pixel 10 series. Here, the user does not need to spend much time on how to start. The app, powered by gen AI tech, offers prompts to get started, and users can add what they did all through the day, what they liked the most and things they didn't like.
This phone is optimised to deliver a better gaming experience with new game controller functionality on the outer display and split view mode option on the foldable wide screen inside, but is limited to a handful of games, including Asphalt Legends and Disney Speedstorm.
The device doesn't warm up quite easily when indoors, but it won't be able to deliver stable gaming performance outdoors with high tropical heat in the afternoon.
Overall, it is not made for extreme gaming. That said, people who have money to buy a phone worth Rs 1.73 lakh will definitely own a Sony PlayStation or Microsoft Xbox console.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is guaranteed to get seven years of Android OS updates, along with security patches for protection against emerging cyber threats.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold runs pure Android 16 OS and will get seven years of OS updates and security software patches up to 2032.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
The device also comes with a Titan M2 security chipset integrated with Tensor G5. It offers protection to all the sensitive information, such as user IDs, passwords and more, stored in the device.
Also, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes with potential life-saving features, including the Crash Detection feature. It will come in handy in sending alerts to emergency responders and loved ones, and get help as soon as possible.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold supports Car Crash Detection feature.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It will also supports Pixel Satellite SOS feature, which will help users send messages to seek help whenever users get lost during a trek or meet an accident in remote locations such as hills or mountain ranges and other remote regions where there is no access to cellular connectivity or Wi-Fi. The device will directly connect to the satellite and send the SOS message to emergency responders. However, this feature is limited to select countries in the West.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold supports Pixel SOS satellite connectivity feature in addition to crisis alerts during natural calamities such as tsunami, earthquake or cyclones.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold owners will also get direct alerts from Google whenever there is a natural calamity such as a Tsunami, hurricane/cyclone/tornado or earthquake nearby. These timely alerts will help device owners move to a safer place before any disaster strikes them.
The device comes with a single physical nano 5G SIM and supports e-SIM, offered by Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone in India.
It also comes latest wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi 7 for a wider range of internet with less buffering at home and the office, and Bluetooth 6.0 for a stable connection between accessories such as earphones.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold supports Battery Charging optimisation feature.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Battery life
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold houses a 5,015mAh battery. Under normal usage with Wi-Fi connectivity, it can easily last a full day. However, when fully relying on 5G cellular for multimedia consumption or gaming on the big wide screen, the battery will drain faster.
It also supports Battery Charging optimisation features. Once Adaptive Charging is enabled, the device will learn the user's charging routine and pauses at 80 per cent and finishes to 100 per cent, an hour before the user unplugs it from the power outlet.
It also supports 23W wired fast charging and 15W Qi2 Pixelsnap wireless charging capability, a first Pixel foldable phone to date.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Photography
The new phone houses triple camera module— main 48MP (with 25mm wide sensor, ƒ/1.7 aperture, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) with 10.5MP 127-degree Ultra-wide camera (with 1/3.4-inch sensor, ƒ/2.2, macro option), and 10.8MP 5x telephoto camera (with 1/3-inch sensor, ƒ/3.1, OIS, Super Res Zoom up to 20x).
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold takes quite good-quality pictures in natural sunlight and also in low-light conditions.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
The camera hardware is complemented by Google's advanced computational photography tools powered by Tensor G4. It supports Camera Coach, Magic Editor, Audio eraser, object eraser, Add Me, Best Take and more.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Users can also make good use of the editing tools of the Gemini AI app to reimagine the picture. Users can turn a still photo of toys into an animated video of up to eight seconds with text prompts. This particular feature is powered by Google's Veo 3 tool.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Camera Coach is exclusive to Pixel 10 series phones. It uses Gemini models to suggest ways to improve photos, like choosing different framing and composition for a shot. This will come in handy for naive phone users who are eager to improve their photography skills.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample with ultra-wide angle mode.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
The device supports ultra-wide-angle photos and does a fine job of capturing the vast area of the landscape inside the frame.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It does a fine job with 5X optical zoom. The picture quality is top-notch. It also supports Super Res Zoom up to 20X.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Camera sample 1X.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Camera sample 2X Zoom
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample with 5X optical zoom.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
At night, it takes really nice sharp photos with less noise in the background.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
With Portrait mode on, it can take amazingly crisp photos of the subject, be it a person or a pet dog.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It does a fantastic job of sharp focus on the subject and artfully blur the background to get the perfect bokeh effect.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
There is also special 'Made You Look' feature, which is tailor made to get your toddler's best photo. It makes good use of the cover display panel. It offers several colourful and funny animation on the cover display to draw the attention of the kid and make it smile. And, the user can view it on the wide screen and at the precise moment, capture the perfect picture.
Google's Pixel 10 Pro Fold comes with innovative 'Made You Look' mode to take perfect pictures of babies in addition to Motion Photo, Top Shot, Auto Best Take and more.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
The primary camera can also record 4K videos at 24/30/60 frames per second (fps). The video quality is really good.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It also features a 10MP front camera in the cover display, and inside, too, it has the same 10MP camera (with a 1/3.94-inch sensor, ƒ/2.2 aperture, and supports face unlock). It can record 4K videos at 30/60 fps.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera sample.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Final thoughts
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a versatile phone, comes with meaningful gen AI features, a clean Android UI, excellent photography hardware and sturdy build quality.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
However, like all foldable phones in the market, the expensive price tag keeps it out of reach for most customers in India.
Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.