Anthony Yates
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is one of the tech juggernaut’s newest phones and was released earlier this month. However, footage of the device catching fire went viral on social media after a YouTuber put it through its paces.
Videos by Rare
What happened: According to Phone Arena, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold was announced in August this year and released on October 9. Zach Nelson, better known as JerryRigEverything on YouTube, reviewed the device. The video soared to over 1 million views in less than a day.
- The YouTuber immediately takes umbrage with the phone’s antenna lines, noting they are a weak spot on previous Google Pixel Folds. Nelson then performs various tests on the device, including a scratch trial where he states that folding screens are inherently soft.
- The drawbacks of folding phones are immediately apparent when Nelson bends the Google Pixel Fold against the joint. It quickly snaps, destroying the screen. A broken screen is already bad enough, but it gets even worse when the YouTuber flexes the device straight again for more tests.
- Nelson exclaims, “The battery decides it’s had enough.” The phone starts to hiss as he drops it, and it starts throwing out plumes of smoke.
The First Phone Explosion In The YouTuber’s Career
A first time for everything: Nelson reveals that he has had stress-tested hardware for over a decade and has never had a smartphone explode. “The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first phone to go up in smoke,” he calmly explains.
- The YouTuber notes that bending a phone against its hinge is an invasive test. However, he claims he has subjected many modern devices to the same punishment. “This is the first time I’ve ever had one fail so spectacularly. To the point where my fire alarm is going off,” he said.
- After his studio fills with smoke, Nelson concludes, “I don’t even think I even have to say it, but the Pixel 10 Pro Fold fails my durability test catastrophically. Like a true professional, the YouTuber continued his analysis even though half the device is barely recognizable.
Of course, it should be noted that the YouTuber put the phone through the wringer. Here’s what another expert had to say.
- “As dramatic as a battery fire is, we don’t think this is necessarily a sign that something is wrong with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold design,” iFixit’s Elizabeth Chamberlain tells The Verge. “The possibility of thermal runaway is just a reality of Li-ion batteries. Looks like Zack probably didn’t discharge the battery before opening up the phone (most new phones have 60%+ charge out of the box). We usually recommend discharging a battery below 25%, but with the extreme stresses Zack places on devices, that may even be too high.”
