The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Is The First Foldable I'd Actually Recommend

Hyderabad: Google just introduced the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, its latest foldable phone that comes with an "all-new gearless hinge", a larger outer display, a bigger battery, loads of AI features, and most importantly, an IP68 water and dust resistance rating—a first for a foldable device. This ingress protection rating means that the new foldable from Google is as resistant to dust as any other premium smartphone with a slate design.

Ever since the launch of the first-ever foldable device from Samsung in February 2019, Android smartphones have seen a new light with a form factor that combines a smartphone and a tablet. As someone who got to experience multiple iterations of such devices over the years, I couldn't shy away from the productivity boost and entertainment prospects that came with them. Yet, despite their appeal, I never bought one for myself nor recommended anyone to spend lakhs, or even thousands, of rupees on either a book-style foldable smartphone or a clamshell one.

The only thing that held me back was the device’s long-term durability, particularly its susceptibility to dust.

Unlike regular smartphones, powered by flagship-level processors, that last a good 3-5 years depending on their usage, foldable smartphones struggled to last even six months before their first visit to the service centre, only because of dust accumulation in the hinge and under the upper layer of the display. In 2021, when Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 with an IPX8 rating, it marked a significant milestone in foldable phone durability, but it only meant that the phone provided a high level of protection from liquid ingress; the dust problem persisted.

Over the years, players like Motorola, Vivo, Oppo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Google, Huawei, Tecno, and others continued to enter the foldable phone space, pushing each other to make better devices. Smartphone manufacturers continued to make the hinge more durable while also working to minimise the screen crease. However, it was only last year that foldable smartphones received their first-ever solid ingress protection.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold features a gearless hinge (Google)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 were the first foldable devices to come with an IP48 rating. While it didn't offer resistance to dust and only stopped solid particles over 1mm, it opened the path towards a hinge design that could stop dust from entering the device, and making them suitable for people living in cities and towns with a high density of dust particles in the air or to people who spend the majority of their daytime outdoors.

Samsung didn't lean much on the fact that it made the "world's first IP48-rated foldable" devices in its marketing materials, as it probably would have highlighted that the new foldables were also susceptible to dust. Samsung was probably working behind the scenes to make foldables that were as resistant to dust as any other normal smartphone. Surprisingly, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7, launched this year, also couldn't achieve the feat. At last, Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold has taken the privilege of being the first foldable phone with an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is now thinner and has a bigger display (Google)

Notably, the IP5X rating provides limited dust ingress protection where some dust particles make it inside the device but don't result in harmful deposits. The IP6X rating, on the other hand, means complete protection against dust ingress.

I wanted to get more details on the gearless hinge and how they achieved the IP68 rating for a foldable, but the mess of a "Made by Google '25" event that looked like a podcast, a late night show, and a commercial—all at the same time, neither allowed anyone to focus on the details nor it seemed to have the time to discuss the engineering behind the feat.

Even Google's Blog didn't dive deeper and only scratched the surface. "It [Pixel 10 Pro Fold] features a new gearless hinge that’s twice as durable as Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s, and it even has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating—a first for a foldable device," it said. "This means your phone will have the same protection as the other Pixel 10 phones."

Notably, an IP rating for a phone highlights its resistance against solid or liquid ingressions. The higher the number, the better the protection. However, it doesn't mean the phone is dust or water proof. Also, the resistance factor keeps diminishing over the years due to normal wear and tear or damage. Still, it is the best possible assurance that we can have against dust or liquid damage. Each number represents a different level of protection, which is as follows:

At present, IP6X is the best possible resistance against dust ingress, and IPX8 + IPX9 denote the best resistance against liquid ingress. For a foldable smartphone to be rated as IP68 might just be the start of a new era of foldable smartphones, where durability fears no longer stop the mass adoption.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold with Pixelsnap accessory (Google)

At Rs 1,72,999, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is definitely super expensive and raises another barrier for most consumers. However, as is the case with any technology, it is bound to become affordable over the years and eventually reach the masses. We already have clamshell flip phones in the market that are available under Rs 50,000. It is only a matter of time before the book-style foldables also reach a price point that is not heavy on the pocket.

While I haven't tested the Pixel 10 Pro Fold yet, it has already become the only foldable phone that I am ready to recommend to people with money to spare.