Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review: A familiar package with AI, software leap

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold refines rather than reinvents, adding IP68 protection, smoother folding, and longer battery life while staying true to Google's clean, practical design

Google is going against the foldable trend of chasing ever-slimmer designs. With the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the company has chosen refinement over reinvention by keeping the familiar look of its predecessor but still packing in more substance where it matters. The 2025 model brings a larger 5015mAh battery, Qi2 Pixelsnap wireless charging, and IP68 dust and water resistance, all while maintaining the same notebook-style design that defined last year’s Fold. But with these upgrades focused more on practicality than aesthetics, does the Pixel 10 Pro Fold truly deliver a more polished, dependable experience? Let’s find out:

Design

The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold doesn’t stray far from its predecessor’s design language. It retains the same notebook-style form factor, where, when folded, it looks like a regular Pixel 10 encased in a sturdy metal frame. Unlike rivals such as Samsung and Vivo, who have been slimming down their foldables, Google has gone slightly thicker this time around: the Pixel 10 Pro Fold measures 10.8mm when folded, up from 10.5mm on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and it’s 1g heavier. Despite that, the handling experience remains comfortable. The phone is still easy to manage with one hand when folded, and its rounded right-side edges prevent any discomfort while gripping.

 

 

It’s definitely on the heavier side, and that becomes more noticeable if you compare it to competitors like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Vivo X Fold 5. However, Google has improved stability –the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is less prone to wobbling when used on a flat surface.

 

What’s impressive is that Google’s decision to keep the build slightly thicker has allowed it to achieve something no other foldable has yet: a full IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The previous Pixel 9 Pro Fold only managed IPX8, while Samsung’s Fold 7 is rated at IP48. The difference is immediately noticeable in daily use – there’s no faint grinding noise when folding or unfolding, a common issue with most foldables I’ve reviewed.

That newfound silence may also come down to Google’s redesigned “gearless hinge” mechanism, which the company claims improves durability and reliability. While it’s too soon to confirm the long-term benefits, the hinge already feels smoother and more refined in use than before.

Display

The display continues to be the highlight of the Pixel Fold experience, and Google has only refined it further this year. The cover screen has grown slightly from 6.3-inch to 6.4-inch, and while that may not sound like much on paper, it noticeably improves usability. The panel now feels even closer to a standard candy bar smartphone without making the device any wider.

 

Brightness has also received a boost from 2,700 nits peak to 3,000 nits, making it easier to read in direct sunlight and enhancing outdoor visibility. The display dynamically switches between 60Hz to 120Hz, ensuring fluid scrolling and animations when needed, and battery efficiency when not. It’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which has proven quite resilient. After weeks of use, there are no visible scratches, something that couldn’t be said for the regular Pixel 10 I reviewed earlier. Both the outer and inner screens also support HDR playback, maintaining Google’s focus on immersive visuals for streaming and gaming.

 

The inner 8-inch Super Actua Flex display is mostly unchanged from last year, except for the same upgraded 3,000-nit peak brightness. The square-like shape continues to be one of its biggest strengths, as it makes split-screen multitasking feel natural – almost as if you’re using two full-sized smartphone displays side by side.

 

With Android 16, Google has further improved this multitasking setup. You can now drag the divider bar in split-screen mode to adjust window ratios freely, offering far more flexibility than the fixed splits of older versions. Another long-overdue addition is the ability to force apps into full-screen mode, regardless of whether they were optimised for the square aspect ratio. Along with the default and full-screen options, there’s now a 3:2 aspect ratio mode, which helps apps display more naturally if they look stretched or oddly scaled in full view.

Camera

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold retains the same camera hardware as its predecessor – a 48MP primary sensor, 10.5MP ultra-wide with Macro Focus, and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto lens. While that may sound underwhelming for a new generation, the Pixel Fold series has always leaned more on Google’s software processing than raw sensor upgrades.

 

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s cameras delivered solid results last year, and I had no hesitation relying on them during short trips. This year, with the new image signal processor (ISP), I expected at least some refinement in output, but to my surprise, the difference is marginal.

That said, the camera system remains one of the most balanced and dependable among foldables. True to Google’s imaging philosophy, photos come out rich in detail with natural-looking colours that avoid over-saturation. Low-light shots continue to impress, offering bright, sharp images with minimal noise. The 5x telephoto lens is particularly versatile for distant subjects and close-up framing, though it still falls short of the more natural background blur achieved by rivals like the Vivo X Fold 5.

 

One change I was hoping for – macro capability through the telephoto lens instead of the ultra-wide – still hasn’t arrived. While macro shots from the ultra-wide are decent, you often have to move uncomfortably close to the subject, which defeats the purpose of having a capable zoom lens that could easily handle such tasks from a distance.

 

On the software side, Google has added new AI-assisted tools, most notably Camera Coach. This feature offers real-time shooting suggestions such as adjusting framing, moving closer, or changing your angle, and is particularly useful for casual or less experienced photographers.

Performance

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold runs on Google’s in-house Tensor G5 chip, the same processor powering the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup. It’s paired with 16GB of RAM, just like the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL, and the performance feels reliably consistent across daily tasks. Whether it’s switching between chat apps, navigating in Maps, browsing multiple Chrome tabs, or using the camera while streaming music in the background, the phone maintains a smooth and fluid experience. Animations are slick, and apps stay active in memory long enough that returning to a half-written note or draft email feels instant.

 

In gaming, performance is solid though not class-leading. Casual and mid-range titles like puzzle games, arcade racers, and shooters run effortlessly at default settings. More graphics-intensive games such as Real Racing may require you to dial back the settings slightly to maintain steady frame pacing. Interestingly, Genshin Impact — which reportedly struggles on some Pixel 10 devices — ran surprisingly well at medium to high settings during my testing, without frame drops or crashes.

 

Thermal management has also seen some refinement. The phone does warm up slightly after extended gaming or prolonged camera use, particularly around the Google logo area, but it never becomes uncomfortable to hold. 

Software

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold ships with Android 16 topped with Google’s refined Pixel UI, offering a clean, uncluttered interface enhanced by a few exclusive Pixel-specific features. The new Material 3 Expressive design language is visible throughout the system, particularly in the semi-translucent Quick Settings panel and the reorganised Settings app, where each menu item now appears within a soft, pill-shaped tile. The lockscreen customisation has been expanded too, allowing more control over widgets, colors, and clock styles, while refreshed icon shapes across menus give the interface a more cohesive and dynamic appearance.

 

AI continues to be the defining theme of the Pixel experience. The Fold runs an improved Gemini Nano model on-device, which powers several new tools. Gemini Live now offers visual overlays, while Pixel Studio gains support for Imagen 4 to generate more natural and detailed visuals. Among the newer additions is also a new Pixel Journal app, which is essentially a note-taking app that uses AI to suggest phrasing and more.

 

The Camera Coach tool in the camera app is another neat touch, offering real-time guidance on framing and positioning to help users compose better photos. However, its suggestions are somewhat static — it doesn’t adjust dynamically if your subject moves, which limits its usefulness in action. On the other hand, Google Photos’ much-anticipated “Help me edit” voice-based photo assistant is still unavailable in India, which is disappointing for early adopters.

 

Another major new feature is Magic Cue, designed to scan your apps for contextual information and surface it when relevant — for instance, automatically retrieving a flight booking when someone emails you about travel. Unfortunately, in practice, it feels half-baked, as the feature often fails to activate in real-world scenarios where it should.

 

Google has also fine-tuned the foldable multitasking experience. You can now freely resize split-screen apps and even force apps into custom aspect ratios (such as 3:2) to better suit the inner display’s square layout. These improvements definitely make the Fold more productive, though they still fall short of the flexibility and polish seen on competitors like the OnePlus Open’s OpenCanvas system.

Battery and charging

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold gets a welcome bump in battery capacity this year, upgrading to a 5015mAh cell from the 4650mAh unit in its predecessor. This improvement translates well into real-world use — the phone comfortably lasts a day and a half on a full charge with mixed usage that includes social media browsing, multitasking on the inner display, watching YouTube videos, and taking occasional photos. Under similar conditions, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold would typically tap out by the end of the day, so the endurance gains are noticeable.

 

Charging speeds, however, remain modest rather than fast. The phone takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes for a complete top-up, while a 30-minute charge brings the battery from around 10 per cent to 50 per cent. In addition to this you also get 15W Qi2 Pixelsnap wireless charging.

Verdict

The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold may not be a radical overhaul, but it’s undoubtedly a meaningful refinement. The design still has some heft, yet subtle improvements to ergonomics, hinge smoothness, and the addition of IP68 dust and water resistance make a noticeable difference in everyday use.

 

The square-shaped inner display remains one of the most practical and enjoyable aspects of the device, offering an excellent multitasking experience. The camera system, while unchanged in hardware, continues to deliver consistently great results across lighting conditions. On the software front, it’s the familiar, fluid Pixel experience, though this time around, Google’s new AI additions feel less transformative than expected.

 

Performance isn’t chart-topping compared to the competition, but the Tensor G5 chip handles everyday tasks and multitasking without strain, aided by improved thermals. Battery life has seen a welcome boost, comfortably lasting beyond a full day, though charging speeds still lag behind the competition.

 

Ultimately, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold doesn’t aim to dazzle with specs or design flair. Instead, it focuses on refinement. For users who want a large-screen device that blends productivity, clean software, and top-tier camera performance, this is Google’s most complete foldable yet.

Pricing

• 16GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 172,999
• Colour: Moonstone

Unboxing

 

 

 

 

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