Bloggers regularly test new smartphones for durability, and it’s unlikely that anyone will be surprised by this. With the advent of models with flexible displays, such a test has become especially relevant, since on its basis potential buyers can understand how resistant to damage a particular device is. This time, the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything got its hands on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold folding smartphone, which turned out to be not as durable and protected as expected.
Image Source: JerryRigEverything/YouTube
In some regions, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is touted as the world’s thinnest and most durable foldable smartphone. Its design differs in many ways from the original Pixel Fold, but it turns out that making the device thinner has also reduced its durability. When the blogger tried to fold the smartphone in the opposite direction, it was possible to do it quite easily. In this case, the device’s display first burst, and ultimately was simply broken in half.
Note that almost any folding smartphone can be broken in this way. However, this is not always possible to do so easily. By and large, the user may accidentally try to fold the smartphone in the wrong direction, which will break the device’s screen and require expensive repairs. Google’s new flagship boasts an aluminum body, which, it would seem, should give the device additional resistance to mechanical damage. The company said that the device is equipped with a stronger hinge mechanism compared to the previous generation model, but did not mention the overall rigidity of the structure.
Another problem, according to the blogger, is the degree of protection of internal components from dust and moisture. According to Google, the case is made in accordance with the IP68 standard. However, when using a smartphone, dust particles and small grains of sand can still penetrate inside the smartphone, which sometimes even causes the hinge mechanism to creak. Google likely has a lot of work to do to avoid repeating these issues with its next-generation foldable smartphone.