Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold Evaluate: Acquainted Really feel, Smarter Execution

	Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold – MSRP $1,799 Google’s Pixel 10 Professional Fold delivers small however significant updates but stays largely similar to final 12 months’s Pixel 9 Professional Fold, making it considerably much less aggressive than its predecessor in right now’s folding cellphone panorama.
	Brighter shows Glorious cameras Extra environment friendly SoC Bigger battery, sooner charging Qi2 with magnets Excellent software program and AI options ×Alert slider is again	Thicker and heavier than the competitors Downgraded shooters vs. Pixel 10 Professional/Professional XL No charger within the field No pen assist

Final 12 months, I used to be so enamored with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold that I gave it our coveted HotHardware Editor’s Selection award. Google’s second era folding cellphone mixed the identical nice type issue as the wonderful OnePlus Open however with Google’s excellent software program and AI expertise. In the meantime, Samsung was critically lagging behind with its awkward and ponderous Galaxy Z Fold6. However now, only one 12 months later, the tables have turned. Google’s new Pixel 10 Professional Fold ($1,799) is extra of an replace with refinements than a real third era machine. Aside from the addition of Qi2 magnetic accent assist and an IP68 score, the design is just about similar to the Pixel 9 Professional Fold. It positive factors Google’s new Tensor G5 SoC, brighter shows, a bigger battery, and sooner charging – all of that are welcome tweaks to make certain. However total, Google’s newest folding cellphone might not elevate the bar that a lot.

Whereas we did not get entry to Oppo’s Discover N5 (successor to the OnePlus Open) or Honor’s spectacular Magic V5 right here within the US, Samsung caught up with the Chinese language competitors with the extremely skinny and lightweight Galaxy Z Fold7 ($1,999). These beautiful new folding telephones are in a distinct league, and make the Pixel 10 Professional Fold appear and feel much less thrilling than its predecessor.

Clearly, there’s extra to a very good handset than simply scorching {hardware}. So, does Google’s excellent software program and AI expertise make up for the Pixel 10 Professional Fold’s older, bulkier design compared to different foldable telephones in the marketplace? Is there any motive to purchase it over Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7? Learn on right here to seek out out.

Pixel 10 Professional Fold {Hardware} And design

You are not hallucinating: Google’s Pixel 10 Professional Fold appears and feels just about similar to final 12 months’s Pixel 9 Professional Fold. The design is mainly the identical as earlier than, with solely the SIM tray getting relocated from the underside edge to the highest edge, the mmWave antenna window disappearing like on the remainder of the Pixel 10 household, and among the microphones and the highest speaker grille getting repositioned.

You additionally get totally different colorways this 12 months – Moonstone (gray) and Jade (inexperienced, like my assessment unit) – each with a matte glass again. The Pixel 10 Professional Fold is definitely barely thicker (5.2 vs 5.1mm open, 10.8 vs. 10.5mm closed) and heavier (258 vs. 257g) than the Pixel 9 Professional Fold. That’s as a result of it options Qi2 magnetic accent assist (ie. magnets beneath the rear glass) like the remainder of the Pixel 10 lineup.

Google calls this Pixelsnap, however it’s mainly similar to MagSafe on Apple’s iPhones. And whereas Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7 does not supply Qi2 with magnets, it’s considerably thinner (4.2mm open, 8.9mm closed) and lighter (solely 215g). And this makes an enormous distinction when dealing with these two units: the Pixel 10 Professional Fold simply appears and feels chunky, such as you’re utilizing final 12 months’s handset as a substitute of residing sooner or later.

However the Pixel 10 Professional Fold does have one ace up its sleeve. It’s the primary folding cellphone ever with a correct IP68 score. That’s proper, it’s each water and mud resistant, which isn’t any small feat. The whole lot else is acquainted, from the matte aluminum body and glossy hinge to the rounded rectangle “twin visor” digicam pod which is dwelling to the identical 48MP important shooter, 10.5MP ultrawide, and 10.8MP 5x telephoto as final 12 months.

Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold Specs And Options

Pixel 10 Professional Fold Show High quality

Google’s Pixel 10 Professional Fold boasts two attractive shows, with punchy colours, inky blacks, and vast viewing angles. The 8-inch internal show carries over from the Pixel 9 Professional Fold. It’s a 2k folding LTPO OLED panel (2152 x 2076 pixels, 373ppi, HDR10+) with an nearly sq. 1:1 side ratio and 120Hz adaptive refresh price. Sadly, this display screen’s crease is simply as pronounced as earlier than – extra so than the competitors.

The outer show grows from 6.3 to six.4 inches. It’s a FHD+ OLED panel (2364 x 1080 pixels, HDR10+) with a regular 20:9 side ratio and 120Hz refresh price. However, as a substitute of utilizing an LTPO panel like different folding telephones, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold makes do with an LTPS cowl display screen. Each shows are brighter this 12 months (3,000 vs. 2,700 nits peak), making them even simpler to learn beneath the California solar.

Bezels are uniform and fairly skinny, and each screens have punch holes for the 2 10MP selfie cameras – high proper for the internal panel, and high middle for the outer show. Like with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, the quilt display screen and again panel are lined in Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Pixel 10 Professional Fold Digital camera Efficiency And Picture High quality

If it ain’t broke, do not repair it. That sums up Google’s method with imaging on the Pixel 10 Professional Fold, which inherits the very same shooters as its predecessor. And to be truthful, that’s a reasonably affordable method contemplating the Pixel 9 Professional Fold takes lovely photos. However, whereas Google’s imaging experience stays high notch, these cameras are getting a bit dated by right now’s requirements – at the least on paper.

As a refresher, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold rear shooters include a 48MP f/1.7 25mm (1/2.0-inch 0.8-micron) important digicam with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS, a ten.5MP f/2.2 127-degree (1/3.4-inch 1.22-micron) ultrawide with PDAF, and a ten.8MP f/3.1 112mm (1/3.2-inch 1.22-micron) 5x periscope telephoto with PDAF and OIS. For selfies, you get similar 10MP f/2.2 23mm (1/3.94-inch) shooters within the outer and internal show.

As you’d anticipate, the 48MP important digicam outputs 12MP pictures by combining (binning) teams of 2×2 close by pixels into bigger pixels for higher low mild efficiency and better dynamic vary, and by cropping the sensor when zooming as much as 5x. This isn’t an possibility with the ten.8MP telephoto and 10.5MP ultrawide, leading to much less detailed pictures when utilizing these shooters at greater magnification (past 10x) or in decreased mild.

General, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold captures pretty photos within the overwhelming majority of situations. Pictures are correctly uncovered, with correct colours and loads of element. Low-light pictures are surprisingly respectable contemplating the small sensor sizes (night time mode helps), and so is dynamic vary. Zooming is fairly strong, with 10x pictures wanting glorious and 20x outcomes remaining usable (Google’s Tremendous Res Zoom algorithm actually pays off). Selfies are nice too.

Capturing modes include portrait, night time (known as Evening Sight), professional (handbook), panorama, lengthy publicity, astrophotography, and Add Me (which incorporates the photographer in group pictures by merging two photos, and now additionally works with pets). The professional and night time modes can be found on all 5 cameras, however the Pixel 10 Professional Fold is lacking the 48MP (important shooter) and Motion Pan (movement blur) modes current on the Pixel 10 Professional/Professional XL.

Video recording is stabilized (with stereo audio) at as much as 4k 60fps with all 5 cameras. Video modes embody night time (important solely, 4k/1080p 30fps), sluggish movement (important solely, 1080p 240fps/480fps), time lapse (4k/1080p 30fps), HDR (4k/1080p 30fps), and cinematic Pan (rear solely, 4k/1080p 60fps). Sadly, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold lacks the 8k and cinematic Blur (portrait video) modes discovered on the Pixel 10 Professional/Professional XL.

Video high quality is aggressive, however right here once more, the iPhone stays the one beat in relation to capturing high quality video.

Pixel 10 Professional Fold Reception And Sound High quality

We used Google’s Pixel 10 Professional Fold totally on T-Cellular and AT&T’s sub-6GHz 5G and 4G LTE networks in San Francisco and New York Metropolis, and didn’t expertise any points. Calls sounded loud and clear, and knowledge speeds matched different units on these networks. The Pixel 10 Professional Fold additionally works tremendous on Verizon and different US carriers / MVNOs. It helps nano SIMs (hurray!), eSIMs, and mmWave 5G.

Audio is likely one of the Pixel 10 Professional Fold’s strengths, due to high quality stereo audio system that sound loud and clear. Like with different Pixel telephones, Dolby Atmos is lacking, however spatial audio is offered when utilizing headphones or earbuds. And whereas there’s clearly no headphone jack, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold helps wired digital equipment through USB Sort-C alongside wi-fi audio units over Bluetooth (with LDAC and aptX HD codecs).

Pixel 10 Professional Fold Efficiency And Battery Life

As you’d anticipate, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold packs Google’s new Tensor G5 SoC, similar to the remainder of the Pixel 10 household. This chip, which is manufactured utilizing TSMC’s 3nm course of, is paired right here with 16GB or RAM and both 256GB (UFS 4.0), 512GB (Zoned UFS), or 1TB (Zoned UFS) storage. The Pixel 10 Professional Fold additionally inherits Samsung’s Exynos Modem 5400 from the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, and consists of satellite tv for pc connectivity.

Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold AI Benchmarks

Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold Graphics And Gaming Benchmarks

As for the remaining specs, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold consists of sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G, 4G LTE, WiFi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth v6.0 + LE, NFC, UWB, and dual-band A-GPS / GLONASS / Galileo / BeiDou / QZSS / NavIC positioning. It additionally options the same old assortment of sensors, robust and exact haptics, and a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor. Talking of which, each face and fingerprint unlock are quick and dependable.

The Pixel 10 Professional Fold’s battery capability is bigger than earlier than (5,015 vs. 4,650mAh), and it prices sooner than its predecessor – 30 vs 21W wired (USB PPS) and 15 vs. 7.5W wi-fi (Qi2 with magnets). Because of this, battery life is reasonably spectacular for a folding cellphone with out a silicon-carbon battery, and charging is comparatively painless. In our PCMark Work 3.0 battery check, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold ran for 16 hours and 33 minutes.

Which means that for most individuals, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold ought to simply final a whole day on full cost, and presumably even longer with mild use. Not too shabby. Sadly, there’s nonetheless no charger within the field, or assist for reverse wi-fi charging. On the plus facet, these Pixelsnap magnets give the Pixel 10 Professional Fold entry to Google’s personal Pixel Snap charging equipment, and naturally Apple’s well-established, wealthy MagSafe ecosystem, which is superior.

Pixel 10 Professional Fold Software program, Person Expertise, And AI

The Pixel 10 Professional Fold runs Google’s taste of Android 16. What you get is a recent, polished, and responsive software program expertise with a splash of Google-y options like Name Display screen, Maintain For Me, Recorder, Now Taking part in, and Private Security (to call a couple of), plus a tasty serving of AI options like Circle to Search, Gemini, Gemini Stay, and Google Pictures’ AI-based picture enhancing instruments. It’s all reasonably pleasant, and I’m a giant fan.

I gained’t dive additional into the Pixel 10 Professional Fold’s software program and AI expertise since I already lined this in my latest Google Pixel 10 sequence assessment. Go learn my assessment, then come proper again so I can let you know about On the spot View. This new function is exclusive to the Pixel 10 Professional Fold’s digicam app when utilizing the internal show. It helps you to preview pictures on the left half of the display screen whereas displaying the viewfinder on the proper half. Intelligent.

Like with different Pixel telephones, Google guarantees seven years of OS upgrades and safety updates for the Pixel 10 Professional Fold. In addition to Google commonplace assortment of apps, our assessment unit was freed from bloatware. As at all times, be conscious of Play Retailer Auto Set up, which generally installs extra apps throughout setup, based mostly in your provider. You may keep away from this by establishing your cellphone over WiFi with out a bodily SIM or eSIM put in.

Pixel 10 Professional Fold Evaluate Abstract

Google’s Pixel 10 Professional Fold ($1,799) is an replace to final 12 months’s Pixel 9 Professional Fold. It’s a well-rounded folding cellphone that advantages from Google’s extra environment friendly Tensor G5 SoC, brighter shows, a bigger battery, and sooner charging – to not point out Google’s excellent software program and AI options. Extra importantly, it’s the primary folding cellphone with a correct IP68 score and Qi2 magnetic accent assist.

Sadly, in relation to design, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold stays largely similar to final 12 months’s Pixel 9 Professional Fold. Plus it shares the room with an elephant – Samsung’s extremely skinny and lightweight Galaxy Z Fold7 – which appears and feels a extra thrilling. So whereas the Pixel 10 Professional Fold delivers small however welcome tweaks, it does not elevate the bar. This makes it considerably much less aggressive than its predecessor in right now’s folding cellphone panorama.

Ultimately, it boils right down to a single query: do you prioritize perform over type? In the event you do, I extremely advocate the Pixel 10 Professional Fold.