{"id":70755,"date":"2025-10-10T21:36:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T21:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/70755\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T21:36:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T21:36:10","slug":"i-want-to-love-the-pixel-10-pro-fold-but-i-cant-find-reasons-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/70755\/","title":{"rendered":"I want to love the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but I can’t find reasons to"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pixel<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never been shy about the fact that I\u2019m a Pixel fanboy. Pixels are the only phones I\u2019ve ever bought with my own money, and they\u2019re the reviews I most look forward to writing each year. I want to try the latest software wrinkles, and I just have to know what the new hardware feels like in my hand. And usually, I\u2019m willing to give Google a lot of grace, because I almost always want to find a reason to like its latest updates.<\/p>\n

For once, though, I feel like Google has taken the idea of \u201cif it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it\u201d just a little too far. Google had a perfect window to grace its book-style foldable with the right mix of updates, leapfrogging the Galaxy Z Fold 7\u2026 but it didn\u2019t. Instead, it\u2019s given the Pixel 10 Pro Fold<\/a> the bare minimum, and I just can\u2019t get excited about it.<\/p>\n

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold\u2019s new software features just don\u2019t fit my needs<\/p>\n

\"Pixel<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Usually, when I start a new phone review, I do so with a sense of almost-blind optimism. I try to go in thinking that it will be an improvement over the previous model and that it\u2019ll be easy to find things I like. However, in the case of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, I\u2019d already spent my wonder and mystery on the Pixel 10 Pro XL<\/a> \u2014 I already knew what I was going to like and what was going to leave me wanting more. So, we\u2019re already off to somewhat of a tricky start.<\/p>\n

On the bright side, at least I knew what to look for; I knew which features I hoped would adapt best to life on the 8-inch Super Actua Flex display. I was eager to give Help Me Edit<\/a> the space it needed to breathe, and I looked forward to using Google\u2019s new 90:10 multitasking UI, which feels much more like the Open Canvas experience I loved on the OnePlus Open from a few years back. And honestly, both of those features were just as good as expected, as was the Instant View camera roll that populated on the left side of the foldable display as I snapped to my heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n

I don’t want to buy a new phone just for better multitasking.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, though, I\u2019d already made up my mind on several of Google\u2019s other shiny new features. I\u2019d already figured out that I prefer a paper journal over Pixel Journal, and that it was much too hard to trigger Magic Cue<\/a> in a way that I could actually rely on it for information. I knew the Camera Coach would only be useful for showing off here and there, as I\u2019d basically forgotten about it on my Pixel 10 Pro XL.<\/p>\n

But hey, the addition of NotebookLM is nice, and the My Pixel app consolidates all of Google\u2019s best tips and tricks in one helpful place \u2014 surely that\u2019s worth $1,800, right? Well, not to me, it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"Pixel\"Pixel<\/p>\n

Instead, I\u2019m realizing that almost everything I actually like about the Pixel 10 Pro Fold\u2019s software was already on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold<\/a> \u2014 a phone I\u2019ve had for months. I want Google\u2019s new multitasking to reach the older generation, but I had no problems living without Pixel Journal and Magic Cue when I already had useful tools like Pixel Studio, Now Playing, and Google\u2019s robust calling infrastructure at my disposal.<\/p>\n

I do, however, want to clarify one thing: I still like Google\u2019s software. Pixel UI<\/a> remains my go-to, and I think Material 3 Expressive is a nice step forward. Everything else, such as timely updates and long-term support, is also good; you just don\u2019t need to buy a brand-new foldable phone to get them. Instead, you could snag last year\u2019s Pixel 9 Pro Fold and get most of the way there, or you could pick up a Pixel 10 Pro and treat it like you have the cover screen of this phone in your pocket.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s design is good, but it had a chance to be great<\/p>\n

\"Pixel<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Speaking of hardware, this is probably where Google took \u201cif it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it\u201d the most literally. Seriously \u2014 if you hold up the Pixel 10 Pro Fold next to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, I challenge you to find the differences. To an extent, the similarity is fine. I never thought the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was too thick or too heavy, and I actually liked the way its rounded front display sat in its aluminum alloy frame \u2014 it beats the sharp corners of the Galaxy Z Fold series any day.<\/p>\n

That said, it\u2019s hard to get excited about seeing the same thing twice, no matter what it is. Rewatching a movie? Still fun, but you know where the jump-scares are and when the jokes are going to land so that you can brace yourself ahead of time. That\u2019s what it feels like to hold the Pixel 10 Pro Fold after using Google\u2019s previous foldable phone. It\u2019s good, but the excitement isn\u2019t quite the same. Or, at least, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold\u2019s most exciting design changes aren\u2019t readily visible \u2014 sorry to anyone hoping for camera upgrades.<\/p>\n

Google can keep its design, but I really wanted upgraded cameras.<\/p>\n

Before I get to Google\u2019s good tweaks, I should, unfortunately, address the one thing we\u2019ve all been hoping for since the first Pixel Fold: new cameras. There aren\u2019t any. Despite equipping its Pixel 10 Pro series with 100x Pro Res Zoom<\/a>, which, in my opinion, brings the most significant upgrade from about 30x to 50x zoom, the ultra-expensive Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the same as its predecessor.<\/p>\n

It packs a 48MP (and kind of small) primary sensor, a 10.8MP (and definitely small) 5x telephoto sensor, and a 10.5MP (and even smaller) ultrawide sensor, and it just expects would-be buyers to be fine spending nearly $2,000 on a phone that\u2019s closer to the Pixel 6 Pro than it is to other members of its own series. My colleague Joe was less than impressed with the \u201cnew\u201d trio of cameras<\/a>, and I wholeheartedly agree with him.<\/p>\n

\"Pixel\"Pixel<\/p>\n

The good news, though, is that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the most durable foldable phone I\u2019ve ever used \u2014 at least in terms of IP rating. It\u2019s the first to ship with robust IP68 protection<\/a>, which is as resistant to dust as it is to water, easily surpassing the Galaxy Z Fold 7\u2019s IP48 certification.<\/p>\n

Also, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is cool with magnets. Yes, it supports Pixelsnap<\/a>, Qi2, and all that good stuff \u2014 though it stops short of the Qi2.2 of the Pixel 10 Pro XL. So far, I\u2019ve paired my Pixel 10 Pro Fold with everything from the Pixelsnap ring stand to the Pixelsnap charger with stand and the Peak Design wallet, which has accompanied me from one phone to the next for the last two years or so.<\/p>\n

I guess now\u2019s the best time to buy a Pixel 9 Pro Fold instead<\/p>\n

\"Pixel<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Sorry, Google, this one hurt. I wanted to love the Pixel 10 Pro Fold \u2014 I figured it would be far and away the best Pixel foldable ever made. I suppose it probably still is, but it\u2019s not the slam-dunk value I was expecting. It\u2019s not actually that much different from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which makes it much harder to get excited about. Maybe I\u2019ll change my tune after a bit more time with the phone, but right now I can\u2019t shake the feeling like I\u2019ve been here before.<\/p>\n

On the bright side, though, since Google hasn\u2019t fixed what wasn\u2019t broken, I can simply sit here and tell you to buy last year\u2019s phone instead. Just do it \u2014 buy the Pixel 9 Pro Fold<\/a> ($1799 at Amazon<\/a>). Yes, you\u2019ll miss out on the first generation of Pixelsnap accessories, but you\u2019ll get the same camera experience, almost all of the same software experience, and nearly identical hardware. Even better, you won\u2019t have to come as close to $1,800 to make it yours.<\/p>\n

I, of course, could eat my words over time. Google could roll out new Pixel Drops that breathe new life into the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and its software. It could lean into the Tensor G5 chip and bring back the Daily Hub<\/a> with a new coat of polish or fine-tune Magic Cue so that it, well, cues when it\u2019s supposed to. If it does, I might change my tune on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but for now, I\u2019m sticking with what I know and recommending you save yourself at least a few bucks.<\/p>\n

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold<\/a>\"GoogleGoogle Pixel 10 Pro Fold<\/a><\/p>\n

Top-tier specs \u2022 IP68 rating \u2022 6.4-inch outer and 8-inch inner displays<\/p>\n

Thinner, more powerful, and a bigger display<\/p>\n

The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold combines a 6.4-inch front display with a folding 8-inch inner panel for two capable viewing experiences. With the Tensor G5 shipset, 16GB of RAM, and lots of UFS 4.0 storage options, it matches the Pixel 10 Pro XL in terms of specifications and performance. The folding phone also offers a triple camera setup, plenty of powerful AI features, wireless charging, and an IP68 rating.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority I\u2019ve never been shy about the fact that I\u2019m a Pixel fanboy. Pixels…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":70756,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[55127,342,111,139,69,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-70755","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-google-pixel-10-pro-fold","9":"tag-mobile","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}