Relax — your Pixel 10 Pro Fold isn’t going to explode

I love an entertaining YouTube video as much as the next person. It’s fun to sit down and watch someone torment a smartphone in ways we never would with an $1,800 investment.

Occasionally, there’s a nugget of useful information to keep in mind. Still, most times torture test videos lean towards the sensational — and that’s precisely what happened with the latest JerryRigEverything video about the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Your Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold isn’t going to catch fire like it does in the video — period. I’m not claiming there won’t be battery issues down the line, but making a buying decision based on what you saw is foolish.

I also take issue with some of the claims made in his video, and it’s important not to let infotainment bleed into reality — here’s why.

You’ll never bend your phone like that

Even in your back pocket

The headline everyone is latching onto is that a Pixel 10 Pro Fold caught fire, but what’s ignored is how the phone reached that point.

In the video, the device was already compromised, bent backward with force along an antenna line while unfolded. When folded again along the same line, the lithium-ion battery appears to bend and puncture, which seems to have caused the fire.

Here’s the tip: don’t bend lithium-ion battery cells. I don’t care what phone you’re using; it will cause a fire.

I also don’t subscribe to the thought that regular use can lead to a failure along the antenna lines.

For starters, you don’t sit on your phone while it’s unfolded — that’s ridiculous. The device will be closed in your back pocket, with your weight evenly distributed across the entire phone.

In a bookbag, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll put your phone away upside down and unfolded, crushing it against a specific point with 100 pounds of schoolbooks.

When you start to play through the real-world scenarios and comedy of errors that would have to happen to recreate the same conditions for failure, you realize how ridiculous it is.

It’s why the original Pixel Fold and Pixel 9 Pro Fold didn’t cause significant issues, despite failing the same JerryRigEverything test at the same spot.

Google can’t just slap an IP68 rating on

It’s not a made-up standard

Google does advertise the Pixel 10 Pro Fold as IP68 dust- and water-resistant, but the company didn’t make that claim up. The phone is designed to comply with the IEC 60529 standard.

I don’t know which combination of internal testing Google used on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but it’s not a rating the company would take lightly.

If it’s revealed that Google didn’t conduct the necessary testing, that’s a different story — but I don’t expect that to be the case. Until I see hinges failing from dust during regular use, I’m not alarmed.

It’s important to note that an IP68 rating doesn’t guarantee dust and water-proofing. Google even mentions that wear and tear over time can compromise the device.

I say in my review that I still wouldn’t build a sand castle with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but for normal activities, I enjoy the added peace of mind.

I can’t think of a scenario where you’d pour a large amount of dusty gravel over your phone, unless you were asking for trouble.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s hinge holds up over time, but if you use your device reasonably, I don’t expect undue issues.

Verification is important, to a degree

Don’t miss out on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold

I’m not saying we should take everything we see and hear at face value. Testing is important, but there’s a difference between testing that mirrors what users will actually encounter versus reality television-esque testing meant to cause a spectacular result.

It’s unfortunate that people will see a Pixel 10 Pro Fold catch fire and be deterred from buying it. It’ll either reinforce the bias that folding phones are fragile or scare new users from taking the chance on something different.

I’m never going to hate on someone making a living by creating content. However, I don’t want people to make the mistake of taking a video designed for its entertainment value and applying it to their real-world experience with a phone.

Infotainment is great, but take it for what it is.

Don’t let a video on the internet sway you

I recommend that you don’t miss out on a phone that I enjoy. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a fantastic device that gets outstanding battery life for a foldable, provided you don’t bend the lithium-ion cell in half.

It features gorgeous screens, and Material 3 Expressive is my favorite Android 16 software to use.

If you don’t typically try to set your screen on fire with a lighter or spend your afternoons shoving gravel on your smartphone, pick up a Pixel 10 Pro Fold with confidence.