Magnets are probably the most thrilling new function on Google’s Pixel 10 Professional Fold for me. I used to be giddy with pleasure once I popped this book-like folding cellphone onto my MagSafe wi-fi automobile charger—no third-party magnetic case wanted, no annoying clamps. I used to be even capable of open the cellphone up, and whereas it drooped into panorama orientation as a result of weight of the second display, it stayed caught and gave me a a lot bigger view of Google Maps.
The Pixel 10 Professional Fold and Google’s broader Pixel 10 collection are the one flagship Android telephones with native Qi2 wi-fi charging assist, that means they’ll magnetically recharge similar to MagSafe iPhones, enabling quicker and extra environment friendly charging. It won’t sound like an enormous deal, however it’s little issues like this that may make a big effect on day-to-day use.
Sadly, exterior of magnets and its folding trick, this Pixel nonetheless does not really feel fairly as “professional” as its identify suggests. It is lacking just a few staples discovered on the precise Pixel 10 Professional and Pixel 10 Professional XL. It is a good smartphone, however once you’re spending $1,799, you need to get the very best bang on your buck.
The Pixel 10 Professional Fold on a MagSafe wi-fi charger.
{Photograph}: Julian ChokkattuTen Fold
Samsung drastically slimmed down its Galaxy Z Fold7 this summer time, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold’s major competitors, and I want Google had adopted swimsuit. Telephones are getting slimmer than ever, and when you might not take care of an ultrathin candy-bar handset with not-so-amazing battery life, any millimeter that is shaved off a folding cellphone could make an enormous distinction in usability.
The Pixel 10 Professional Fold does not really feel just like the chonker it was initially, however subsequent to the Z Fold7, it feels just a little extra cumbersome to make use of. I nonetheless discover it laborious to open typically (I want there was a small lip), and I additionally am not a fan of the asymmetrical design, with seen curved edges on the left close to the hinge; Samsung’s cellphone appears to be like extra elegant.
The {hardware} feels higher than ever although, with a dependable gearless hinge and a crease I discover straightforward to disregard. (In the event you care, the Galaxy Z Fold7’s crease is barely much less noticeable.) This is without doubt one of the few folding telephones with a correct IP68 dust- and water-resistance score, even higher than what Samsung gives, so you’ll be able to really feel secure utilizing this cellphone in varied environments like conventional smartphones. I dropped the cellphone once I was getting out of my automobile (onto asphalt), and I noticed just a few nicks within the aluminum body. And whereas a lot of that comes all the way down to luck, these folding telephones simply aren’t as fragile as they as soon as have been. Google says the cellphone is able to 10 years of folding, which helps assuage long-term considerations.
