Google has introduced its Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which, despite being thicker and heavier than rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, incorporates significant upgrades including an IP68 rating, Qi2 charging, and a larger 5,015mAh battery. This design choice prioritizes extended battery life and durability over extreme thinness, a strategic trade-off that positions Google's latest foldable with a focus on user experience and longevity in a highly competitive market driven by design aesthetics.
Google’s third foldable features plenty of improvements from its second, from a world-first IP68 rating to magnetic Qi2 charging, brighter displays, and a bigger battery. But one area it hasn’t improved is the size and shape — in fact, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a gram heavier and a fraction of a millimeter thicker than last year’s 9 Pro Fold. Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the thin-enough foldable The new Pixel foldable is thicker than rivals, but don’t hold that against it. The new Pixel foldable is thicker than rivals, but don’t hold that against it. In fairness, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was noteworthy for how thin and light it felt by foldable standards. But the industry moves fast, leaving its successor one of the thicker new folding phones on the market. Over the last year, Oppo, Honor, and — most importantly — Samsung have all traded blows in pursuit of the “world’s thinnest foldable” title, while Google never stepped into the ring. But I’ve used all of those super-thin foldables and reviewed a couple, and after a week with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, I’m happy to say: it may be the thickest, but it’s still thin enough. Google’s new foldable measures 5.2mm thick when open, and 10.8mm when closed. Unfolded, that’s enough to feel undeniably thin — it’s slimmer than all but the most slender tablets — but the question is how the phone feels when it’s shut. One of the criticisms foldables have faced since the beginning is they feel a bit like two phones taped together. The 10 Pro Fold certainly isn’t that bad, but it is thicker than just about every slab phone on the market. That’s where rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 make the difference felt — at 8.9mm thick, that phone is only a hair thicker than the 8.8mm iPhone 17 Pro Max and less than a millimeter thicker than Google and Samsung’s own flagship phones. It’s an edge that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold simply lacks. Over the past week or so, I’ve used the new Pixel foldable both as-is and in Google’s official Pixelsnap case — a thin, snap-on plastic protector which adds just a little extra depth to the device. Either way, I can’t say its size has ever really bothered me. Held side by side with a phone like the Honor Magic V5, currently the thinnest foldable on the market, the difference is apparent. But day to day, with the phone in my jeans pocket or in one hand on the bus, I’ve never once thought it felt too thick. The only thing that gives me pause is the weight. At 258g, the Pixel is almost 50g heavier than the Z Fold 7, and that gets on my nerves a little. It’s just enough to make the phone uncomfortable after a train journey spent holding it in one hand, or for my arms to drop half an inch as I hoist it above my head in bed. Of course, the tradeoff for size and weight is the same on both counts: battery size. The 5,015mAh battery in the Pixel comfortably outclasses the Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh and has saved me from battery anxiety entirely — I’ve had 40 percent left going to bed most nights, leaving enough wiggle room for heavy usage days and inevitable degradation. It’s still not a patch on the battery capacity of Oppo and Honor’s thinner phones, but they’re getting the benefit of energy-dense silicon-carbon batteries that the US market has been much slower to adopt. I’ll be the first to admit that before using the phone, I got this wrong. Reviewing the Honor Magic V5 two months ago, I slammed the 10 Pro Fold’s design for feeling “outdated” before it had even launched, but I’ve since changed my mind. Phones like Honor’s, Oppo’s, and Samsung’s certainly feel like the future of foldables, but the fractionally thicker Pixel feels just fine for now. That’s partly because I stand by my claim that thinner phones are going to give us diminishing returns — we’ve reached the endpoint, at least until we’re all ready to ditch USB-C and go portless. Google may not have gotten there just yet, but it’s not too far behind. Google's new Pixel 10 Pro Fold introduces significant upgrades, including an IP68 rating, Qi2 charging, brighter displays, and a larger 5,015mAh battery. This third-generation foldable, however, is noted to be thicker and heavier at 258g compared to rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which weighs approximately 208g and measures 8.9mm thick when closed. The device's 10.8mm closed thickness also exceeds the Z Fold 7's dimensions, indicating a design trade-off. This design choice reflects Google's strategic prioritization of durability and extended battery life over the industry trend of achieving the "world's thinnest foldable." The larger battery capacity, exceeding the Z Fold 7's 4,400mAh, aims to enhance user experience by reducing battery anxiety, a practical benefit acknowledged by the reviewer despite the device's comparative bulk. While the general sentiment for the article is neutral, the per-ticker sentiment for GOOGL is slightly positive (0.5), indicating a nuanced view of Google's product strategy. This differentiation in design philosophy could carve out a distinct market segment for Google, appealing to users who value functional robustness over extreme sleekness in their foldable devices.
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