Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Focuses On Fine Changes With A Bigger AI Push Again | Tech News

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold looks the same but has some definite changes

Google’s Pixel foldable journey continues and while its competition is going for serious refinements and overhaul, Google is happy to play the slow game. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold looks a lot like its predecessor, the first model that was introduced in India last year. Samsung’s Z Fold 7 model this year has finally given us the confidence in foldables (as well as the Vivo X Fold 5). 

They are sleek, lightweight but have ample power under the hood. The Google mantra seems to be focused on making hardware to show off its AI prowess and that’s where the new Pixel 10 series also fits into the scheme of things. But for a price of Rs 1,72,999 the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is fighting in the premium arena where the rivals have evolved. So, where does the new Pixel 10 foldable stand in the pack? Here’s what we tell you over here. 

Not Sleek But Durable 

Google’s new Pixel foldable is the first to feature IP68 rating and a more durable hinge mechanism which ensures the unfolded process doesn’t feel rigid. The frame is made from aluminium and the space-grade solidity makes you believe the Pixel 10 Pro Fold can last a little longer than its previous iteration.

Having said that, the new version is thicker and heavier than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and much much more than Samsung and Vivo’s latest foldable versions. 

The book style form factor is once again the focus of Google’s foldable which means you have a wider screen profile and a chunky unit overall which is not best suited for people with small hands. Google is using Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for the front and protection on the glass back body with a frosted finish. 

Lighting Up The Screens 

Like the regular Pixel 10 devices, the foldable version also comes with brighter displays, both on the cover and the inner unit.

The 6.4-inch OLED screen on the outside doesn’t get LTPO but offers 120Hz refresh rate. The 8-inch OLED LTPO inner foldable panel supports up to 3000 nits of peak brightness. 

Having these upgrades mean you can use the Pixel 10 Pro Fold screens quite nicely in harsh outdoor conditions when the light can be bright. The panel is crisp and the colours are punchy which makes watching videos/movies quite pleasing, albeit with the same 1:1 ratio limitations for the content. 

The one thing you might be let down by is the size of the bezels and these can become an eye sore for a premium device. As well as the crease on the display which continues to exist on the Pixel foldable in 2025. We really hope the Pixel 11 Fold is Google’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 moment next year. 

The Tensor (Lack Of) Impact 

Tensor G5 is at the center of all the Pixel 10 series models and that includes the Fold. The performance levels of the new chipset isn’t that different from the G4 SoC and it lags quite far behind last year’s flagship hardware in the market. But Google is building its Tensor SoCs with AI as the main highlight for its tuning, rather than what Apple does with the A-series and the M-series silicon. 

To be fair, the daily use is not going to feel any different from most devices but it is the long term usability of the 10 Fold that leaves us apprehensive. You do have 16GB RAM as the standard but in India Google continues to limit its ambitions and only offer the 256GB storage variant.

Having the higher variants would have unlocked faster transfer speeds but that’s not officially available once again. 

The performance is good but it is not premium-grade just yet. However, the software is still the high point for the Pixels, and the 7 OS upgrade cycle is the standard to match or beat for its rivals. The platform is slick, comes without any bloatware and no nagging ads either. The Gemini AI suite flourishes under the Tensor G5 regime and also lets the data process on-device. 

The Same-ish Pixel Cameras 

Google has been quite consistent with the camera quality across different Pixel generations but once again the Pixel 10 Pro Fold gets an inferior setup compared to the Pixel 10 Pro and the 10 Pro XL. What you get is a triple system with a 48MP wide main sensor with OIS, a 10.8MP telephoto lens with OIS and a 10.5MP ultrawide lens. 

The similar nature of Pixel cameras have been lauded before but now the company has gone past the sell-by date for the features and it needs more than just new sensors to match up to the best out there. We have seen many brands surpass what Google’s computational photography can offer and the results are becoming rather too obvious in the last few years. 

Even the selfie cameras are the same, and Google has not made any changes to the sensor for the 10 Pro Fold. The choice of sensors for the 10 Pro Fold is quite intriguing, especially for its most premium device in the lineup. 

Battery Holds Up At Last

Pixel 10 Pro Fold is heavy but it does get the biggest ever battery on a Pixel device. The 5,015mAh unit shows Google breaching the 5K mark for the first time but the charging speeds are still quite slow at 30W in the wired mode and up to 15W in the Qi2 wireless charging mode.

The improvements are immediately noticeable and it seems the Tensor G5 does handle the heat better and does not let the battery get affected.

We easily got the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to run through a day’s use with around 20 percent juice in the tank which is not the best by any means but within the Pixel-sphere these results were acceptable. The PCMark battery score of 16 hours is nowhere close to the best numbers but the all-round usability of the device gives us better assurance than the previous Folds. 

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold has become better but the competition has gone a few levels up this year and with a premium price tag the stakes are even higher.