Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first to ‘go up in smoke during a bend test,’ JerryRigEverything says

Google could have yet another Pixel with a battery issue, and this time, affecting the all-new Pixel 10 Pro Fold. In a video posted today, YouTuber JerryRigEverything, aka Zack Nelson, put the foldable through his usual durability tests, but as he films his bending test — having already broken the phone — the battery expands, appears to overheat, emits enough smoke to set off a nearby fire alarm, and eventually turns into a charred wreck on his table test.

To be honest, Nelson puts extraordinary stress on the phone. He originally breaks the phone by bending it backwards while the phone is fully unfolded, and the battery doesn’t bulge until he puts a lot of force on the broken part of the phone such that he essentially bends the screen behind him.

This is not a scenario that a normal person will face on a daily basis. But it remains unusual, even given the extreme circumstances, according to Nelson. He says he hasn’t seen anything like it in previous tests.

“Surprisingly, in the decade I’ve been testing phone durability, I’ve never seen a smartphone explode before,” Nelson says. “The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first phone to go up in smoke.” And while emphasizing that this is an “extreme test,” he adds: “I’ve also put every consumer smartphone made in the last 10 years through the exact same tests. And this is the first time I’ve had one fail so spectacularly to the point that my fire alarm goes off.”

“As dramatic as a battery fire can be, we don’t think it’s necessarily a sign that anything is wrong with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s design,” said iFixit’s Elizabeth Chamberlain. The edge. “The possibility of thermal runaway is just a reality of Li-ion batteries. It looks like Zack probably didn’t discharge the battery before opening the phone (most new phones have over 60% charge right out of the box). We generally recommend discharging a battery below 25%, but with the extreme stress Zack puts on devices, that may even be too high.

Chamberlain adds that “thermal runaway is essentially a local short circuit, and is most likely to occur when you pass through the insulating layers of a jelly roll battery.” She also pointed to an iFixit article and video about batteries catching fire.

Nelson also tested the Pixel 10 Pro Fold for IP68 dust resistance. While Google called the phone “the most durable foldable yet” and highlighted the benefits of the phone’s gearless hinge, Nelson pours dust directly onto the hinge and opens and closes the phone, resulting in sickening creaks as the dust gets stuck inside. “It’s kind of embarrassing,” Nelson said.