Destroyed by a bend test, the Google Pixel Fold doesn’t like heat either

05 July 2023

The Pixel Fold is Google’s first foldable smartphone, and it’s slowly starting to get into people’s hands now, though if you order one today from the US Google Store, you’re looking at waiting a month until it arrives. It appears that the company has been very conservative with its sales estimates and thus has not given many of these estimates.

In any case, the Pixel Fold is the latest device to undergo the grueling “durability test” that Zack has done Jerry’s everything We are used to the YouTube channel. Only a few slate-style phones have failed its tests in recent years, but this one is special because, you know, folds. If you’re wondering how it works, grab some popcorn and hit Play below.

If for some reason you can’t view, we’ll give you the exact details. The outer screen is covered in glass of course so it scratches at level 6 on the Mohs hardness scale as normal, with deeper grooves appearing at level 7. The inner foldable screen has a plastic screen protector on top of the very thin glass, and this scratches at level 2, with grooves showing deeper into level 3.

The sides of the phone are made of metal, as is the SIM card tray, the hinge is brushed steel, as is the camera bump or “eyebrow”. The external screen lasted about 15 seconds when exposed to an open flame, while the foldable screen stopped after eight seconds, interestingly shutting down the phone in the process.

After that the phone did not turn on again for a minute and when it did it threw a warning that it had automatically shut down due to overheating. Somehow funny. Although the Pixel Fold isn’t rated for dust resistance, it holds up to exposure well.

Finally, the bend test. Bending while unfolding it, the Pixel Fold destroys most of its inner screen, by folding in the wrong direction. Then it cannot be folded and closed again. Interestingly, it is not the joint that fails, but the antenna lines that are the weak points.