Google’s first foldable smartphone, the Google Pixel Fold, is starting to land in the hands of consumers, available for preorder now, and expected to released in about a month’s time.
The device has gone through some “durability testing” from some reviewers, and it appears to have failed the test.
The outer screen is glass and scratches at level 6 on the Mohs hardness scales, and has deeper grooves at level 7. The inner foldable screen comes with a plastic screen protector placed on top of the ultra-thin glass, and scratches at level 2, with deeper grooves at level 3.
The sides are made of metal, along with the SIM card tray, with the hinge polished steel along with the bump/visor. The outer screen lasted 15 seconds when subjected to open flame, and the folding screen lasted 8 seconds, while turning the phone off in the process.
For a minute, the handset didn’t turn back on, and once it did, it threw forward a warning about shutting down automatically due to high heat. The device isn’t dust resistance rated but handled exposure well.
When the phone was bent while unfolded, majority of the inner screen was destroyed, due to the folding in the wrong direction. Afterwards, it cannot be folded shut again. The hinge wasn’t what failed, but the antenna lines.
