Pixel 10 Pro Fold caught fire during JerryRigEverything’s bend test, triggering a fire alarm.
The YouTuber blamed weak antenna line placement, calling it the “weakest folding phone ever.”
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold fire could be less likely from battery.
Google previously introduced its latest flagship foldable device, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Counted in among the most durable folding phones ever made yet has unexpectedly become the center of controversy as it caught fire during a durability test. The incident was reported by popular YouTuber JerryRigEverything, known for his extreme smartphone durability experiments.
SurveyDuring his testing, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold snapped at one of its antenna lines during a bend test, leading to short circuit and thermal runaway reaction inside the battery. During these moments, the device caught fire, filling the room with smoke and triggering the fire alarm. The creator described it as the first phone explosion he has witnessed in over a decade of testing.
For the unversed, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first foldable device that offers IP68 rating and the incident is surprising given Google’s strong durability claims. JerryRigEverything suggested that the fault lies with the placement of the antenna lines, which, he said, remain unchanged from previous Pixel Fold models and are structurally weak points in the hinge area.
Also read: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold price drops by Rs 83,000 during Flipkart Big Bang Diwali sale
“This is the weakest folding phone I’ve ever tested,” he said, criticising Google’s marketing claims. Despite the alarming visuals, iFixit experts cautioned that the incident may not be indicative of a widespread design flaw. “It is likely that the battery was not discharged prior to testing. In a statement to The Verge, iFixit’s Elizabeth Chamberlain explained that most new phones ship with about 60% charge, which increases the risk during stress tests.
Google has yet to respond officially, but industry observers argue that such extreme durability tests do not always reflect real-world usage or device safety in normal conditions.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
