rewrite this title The Pixel 10 Pro Fold won me over with this key upgrade

Over the years, I've spent time with several foldable phones, going all the way back to the original Galaxy Fold, and more recently, the Galaxy Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In theory, I really like the concept of a foldable smartphone. A normal slab phone that can transform into a bigger tablet when I need extra screen real-estate? As someone who loves unique gadgets that push the industry, how can I not be into that?

But if I'm being honest, a few weeks after finishing my reviews, I usually slide the foldable I tested in a drawer in my office or mail it back to whatever company sent it my way because I'm too worried about damaging it, despite Samsung and Google's claims of increased durability with every new foldable they release. I'm pretty clumsy with my devices and often accidentally drop them or get water on their displays. I also like to mount my phone in the shower to listen to music and watch videos — yes, I know that's a bit odd.

I've tried high-quality glass screen protectors and cases, including Google's excellent official Pixel 9 Pro Fold case, since this usually calms my lizard brain that's often worried about damaging my devices. But even with the extra protection on whatever foldable I'm using, I find I always end up switching back to a standard Pixel or iPhone flagship.

However, with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, that's changed thanks to one key addition.

Brand

Google

SoC

Tensor G5, Titan M2 security processor

Display

6.4-inch 120Hz 2364 x 1080 pixel resolution OLED Actua outer display, 8-inch 120Hz 2076 x 2152 pixel resolution OLED Super Actua Flex inner display

RAM

16GB

Storage

256GB, 512GB

Battery

5,015mAh

IP68 dust and water resistance with a foldable is a huge deal

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold featured IPX8, but this year's Pixel 10 Pro Fold kicks things up a notch

Don't get me wrong, there are a few upgrades to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold this year, including a brighter display (3,000 nits vs 2,700 nits of peak brightness with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold) across both the inner and outer display, slightly more battery life, Google's Tensor G5 chip, magnetic Pixelsnap accessory compatibility, a slightly firmer-feeling hinge, and… that's about it. All of its cameras are identical, and while there are a few exclusive AI features like Live Translate, Call Assist, and Camera Coach, none of them are particularly useful.

Even the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's overall design is nearly identical, and at times, I got the Pixel 9 Pro Fold confused with it when directly comparing both foldables. That brings me to this year's key upgrade (the one that the sometimes funny Jimmy Fallon was overly excited about and during the Pixel 10 series' awkward reveal keynote) — IP68 dust and water resistance.

Along with handling being submerged in fresh water all the way up to 3.2ft (1m), the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is dust resistant and entirely sealed. This means that getting pocket lint and other debris stuck in its hinge or along the edges of its foldable display, isn't a problem I need to worry about.

For example, if I take the Pixel 10 Pro Fold out on my tiny sailboat this summer, it'll survive a couple of splashes with ease and if a bit of sand gets on its display or in its hinge, I can just blow it away and not worry about it getting inside the hinge. The extra peace-of-mind IP68 offers is a complete game changer for me, and during the last few weeks while using the Pixel 10 Pro Fold as my main smartphone, the foldable's durability hasn't crossed my mind once (the new firmer feeling hinge also helps).

On a base level, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold now features the same IP durability rating as most modern smartphones, including the iPhone 17 Pro, and of course, the rest of the Pixel 10 Pro lineup. Dust-proofing and submersion resistance became a standard phone feature in the late 2010s. The shift happened so long ago that it's not even something I think about when I cover a smartphones, and I imagine most people feel the same way at this point, so it's a bit odd no other manufacturer has managed to bring IP68 to a foldable. Still, I'm glad it finally happened.

I can use the Pixel 10 Pro Fold with confidence now

If you were on the fence about the pricey Pixel Fold line, this is a great time to upgrade

This is part of why the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is so important to the smartphone space, given it's the first foldable to feature an IP68 rating. Anyone thinking about moving from a slab phone to a foldable now has one less barrier to think about, and on a personal level, I find I'm not constantly worried about where I take Google's Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Instead, I'm just using it like any other smartphone, while also taking advantage of its expansive 8-inch interior screen, exactly like I should be.