Google’s new Pixel 10 Pro Fold just hit the market, but its launch took an unexpected turn after a viral durability test ended in flames. YouTuber Zack Nelson from JerryRigEverything put the foldable through his usual series of durability challenges, and while the phone survived scratches and burns, it failed spectacularly during the bend test when its battery exploded.
The test started out like every other one Nelson has done for years. The outer glass and internal display scratched at typical levels, while the hinge appeared to hold up under normal handling. But when he began to apply pressure to test the fold’s flexibility, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold snapped cleanly along the antenna lines. This is the same structural weak point seen in last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, suggesting Google may not have fully reinforced the design.
What came next caught everyone off guard. As the phone broke apart, the battery inside began to hiss and smoke before bursting into a small explosion. A plume of white smoke filled Nelson’s studio, forcing him to step back. He later confirmed that this was the first time in his entire testing history that a smartphone battery had exploded during a bend test.
Experts say the explosion was likely caused by pressure on the lithium-ion battery’s internal layers after the phone snapped. Once those layers short-circuited, the heat buildup led to what’s known as thermal runaway. Its worth noting that while such a failure is unlikely to happen under normal use, the incident does raise questions about how much stress the foldable can endure before structural damage becomes dangerous.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s hinge did remain intact, but the antenna line break effectively exposed the phone’s internal components, showing that Google’s claims of improved durability might not hold up under real-world pressure. The incident mirrors the early issues seen in the first generation of foldable phones from other brands, which struggled to balance flexibility and safety.
Google has not yet released an official statement regarding the test, but fans and critics alike are questioning whether the company’s latest foldable is truly ready for the rigors of daily use. For now, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s fiery failure is making headlines as one of the most dramatic smartphone durability tests ever caught on camera.