Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold hands-on: similar size, but new AI tricks, MagSafe and dust resistance
The strongest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 rival looks like last year's phone on the outside. But it's the AI inside that counts.
✅ Pros
📖 8-inch large tablet-like screen that folds down into a 6.4-inch phone
📸 Google’s latest AI trick: ‘Camera Coach’ will help you take better photos
🤖 New AI perks: Magic Cue, 100x AI Pro Res Zoom, and Daily Hub
💬 Voice translate over the phone – with an AI voice that sounds like each speaker
🧲 MagSafe-like ‘Pixelsnap’ debuts magnetic wireless Qi2 charging on Android (finally!)
🔋 Larger 5,015mAh battery offers 30+ hours and faster charging
⚙️ New gearless hinge and more durable ultra-thin glass
🏖️ The first foldable with an IP68 dust and water resistance rating
🎨 Lovely Moonstone and Jade colors (wish there were more)
⚙️ Up to 1TB of storage with all versions getting 16GB of RAM
💰 Expensive but no price increase from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold
❌ Cons
💰 At $1,799, foldable phones still haven’t gotten cheaper
📐 Not nearly as thin as the stunning Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold 7
📸 The camera hardware hasn’t changed; it’s just post-processing
🤖 100x Pro Res Zoom has the usual AI shortfalls (fingers, words)
🔥 The Shortcut hot take
For as much as I praised the Pixel 9 Pro Fold last year (I gave it a 5/5), I was a bit worried about the Pixel 10 Pro Fold leading up to today’s launch. You see, 12 months ago, Google created the ideal sizing for a foldable phone in the US when Samsung’s fold screens were too narrow. But this year, the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s bigger screens fixed Samsung’s biggest issue, and the phone got so much thinner. Google remains mostly the same.
But there are other perks to talk about with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It boasts a larger battery capacity, MagSafe-like Pixelsnap wireless charging, and numerous AI-enhanced features. Camera Coach helps you become a better photographer, Magic Cue pulls up important info across apps, and 100x AI Pro Res Zoom cleans up distant photos very nicely.
I still think not a lot has changed from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold – even the cameras are the same aside from AI-powered post-processing – but at least the price, while still high, hasn’t increased. It’s still one of the best foldables around. It just has new competition from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 this year and maybe the Apple iPhone Fold next year.
🛍️ Pixel 10 preorder deals
👀 Also see
📖 An open book. I still love having an 8-inch mini tablet that folds down into a pocketable traditional phone with a 6.4-inch front display. The front screen is a tad larger this year (up from 6.3 inches), thanks to thinner bezels, although the overall design still remains chunky.
🧲 MagSafe-like Pixelsnap. REAL Qi2 charging has come to Android for the first time in the US. You’ll be able to magnetically attach a wireless charger to the back of the Pixel in a MagSafe-like process that Google is calling Pixelsnap. More than charging, this opens up Pixel 10 phones to all sorts of fun accessories I have, like MagSafe tripods. In 2026, we’re going to be deducting a point from flagship Android phone reviews if they don’t have MagSafe capabilities. It’s time.
📐 Not as thin as Samsung. I usually don’t care about thin phones, but for a foldable, it kind of matters. While Google nailed the ideal screen shape last year, Samsung’s Z Fold 7 level up with a very similar shape this year and went super thin. Google ties Samsung on shape, but feels noticeably thicker when the screen is folded.
🪨 Stronger hinge and glass. One of the things that I always get questions about from the foldable-curious out there: “Is this foldable going to break?” It seems like every 12 months, Samsung and Google compete to say they have a stronger foldable phone than last year. This year, Google is touting that its gearless hinge will last 10+ years.
🏝️ First IP68 foldable. Google figured out how to make the Pixel Pro Fold 10 both dust and water-resistant, a major milestone for foldable smartphones. This means you could take this smartphone to the beach, which I’d be wary about doing with any other foldable.
🎨 Two lovely colors aren’t enough. Moonstone and Jade are the best colors available for the Pixel 10 Pro series, but they leave out other options, especially black. You’re going to get a lot more choices from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 colors, including Shadow Blue, Jet Black, and Mint.
📸 Camera is all about AI. Our Pixel 10 hands-on details Google’s latest AI camera capabilities, including 100x AI “Super Pro Res Zoom.” But the overall cameras remain the same: a 48MP main camera, 10.5MP ultrawide, and 10.8MP telephoto for 5x optical zoom. Google’s upgrades this year are all about post-processing.
🔋 Larger battery. Google is touting 30+ hours of battery life thanks to a 5,015 mAh battery capacity that should last well into a second day of use between charges. We’ll have to test this in our full review closer to the October 9 release date.
More Pixel 10 Pro Fold coverage to come
We’re not going to get more time with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold until closer to the October 9 release date. But that doesn’t mean we’ll stop talking about Google’s latest smartphone that folds in half. Really, the cutting-edge tech still amazes us, and we’ll continue to talk about it and whether the value prop is there to finally go mainstream. Stay tuned for updates and subscribe to stay in.. the fold.