It lasts longer than I expected

The Pixel Fold was Google’s first phone with a flexible display when it launched last year. And at its upcoming Made By Google event, we’re about to find a successor to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. So there’s no better time to check how well Google’s original bendy handset has survived being my daily driver for a year.

The Pixel Fold doesn’t look like any other foldable device on the market. It has a curved polished aluminum frame with smaller dimensions resulting in something shaped more like a passport than a traditional handset or Samsung’s long and thin sticks. When you open it up, you’ll find almost zero bezels and a huge display that sits in landscape orientation instead of portrait like all its competitors. At the back, there is a very large camera bar. But as I discovered after speaking with the phone’s designers, the opportunity to shape Google’s first foldable device gave the team a blank slate to try new approaches. And I think the phone is much better for it.

That’s because even though the widescreen setup sometimes causes problems with apps and websites that expect portrait mode, it makes sitting down with a movie faster and more enjoyable. Meanwhile, its thick frame left enough room for Google to build a selfie camera into the phone’s paper rather than making room for its large display. And although its rear camera module is quite large, it has allowed Google to equip the Fold with the same sensors as those in the standard flagship Pixel (including 5x optical zoom). That’s something Samsung hasn’t been able to do with the Z Fold line, which continues to take a backseat in image quality compared to the similarly priced Galaxy S Ultra.

Admittedly, the Samsung version still boasts a few features that the Pixel Fold doesn’t get like native style support and Dex mode, which provides a superior multitasking architecture. And, thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, it delivers slightly faster performance overall. However, I think Google makes up for that with better software including apps like Pixel Recorder, Call Screener and Live Translate.

All in all, despite being Google’s first foray into the segment, the Pixel Fold is a very compelling device with a unique design, best-in-class cameras and great displays – that’s everything you want in a big soft phone. That said, one thing that I couldn’t properly assess in my initial review is the phone’s long-term durability. Closing the loop, here’s how it’s going one year later.

Before we get too deep, I should note that I’m a stickler for devices. The Pixel Fold I’ve been using has been bare from the day I got it, simply because I don’t like cases. After all, companies like Google spend millions coming up with great designs, so it seems like a shame to throw cheap smoke over everything. I also live with a toddler who doesn’t care about nice things, so he doesn’t think twice about making a phone call when it’s on the way. But still, the Pixel Fold holds up surprisingly well.

In its frame, there are a lot of scratches and scuffs everywhere and some dents from falling off. There are also a few scapes on its matte Gorilla Glass Victus back, but these are all cosmetic only. If you’re the type of person who enjoys the wear and patinas of antique furniture, you might say that the Pixel Fold is aging rather than that considering how well it absorbs abuse. Most importantly though, none of this damage has affected the performance of the phone.

That said, there is a small crack on the phone’s outer screen. But I want to be clear, that is 100 percent my fault. When I was trying to potty train my toddler, I used to sit on the low chair next to him in the hard-tiled bathroom. And often, because of the way I was sitting, the phone would come out of my pocket. This happened several times and I should have put the phone on the nearest changing table. But I didn’t, and about a month ago, it fell and hit the corner of its display, causing a small spider web to break. However, even with that feature, the performance of the screen is not affected.

Naturally, I tried to adjust the external display. Unfortunately, my local uBreakiFix representative (which is a Google authorized repair center) told me that they don’t have the necessary parts or the right jig to replace the panel. I was then told to contact one of the company’s main locations in Kearny, NJ, which had the equipment and gave me a rough estimate (over the phone) of four hours and $220 for the repair. Then, just to be sure, I took the Pixel Fold to Google’s flagship store in NYC for a second opinion, which resulted in a slightly cheaper price in the ballpark of $180. Both prices are in the same range as what it would cost to replace the display on a traditional candybar-style handset, which is good considering the added complexity of the Pixel Fold’s design. As for its main display, perhaps due in large part to the fact that it is protected by the rest of the phone when closed, it remains pristine.

I’ve also dropped this thing in the sand, which shocked me a lot since its IPX8 rating technically specifies its level of water resistance (up to 5 feet for 30 minutes). Things got worse when I tried to open it and was greeted by the distinct sound of particles grinding somewhere inside. But after wiping it and blowing it like it was an old NES cartridge, everything went back to normal. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that even after a year, there is not a single hint from the Fold’s factory-installed screen protector, which is something I’ve experienced with every Samsung Z Fold phone I’ve owned. And from the searches I’ve done online, aside from a few odd stats, I haven’t seen many complaints from other Pixel Fold users.

In many ways, the impressive durability of the Pixel Fold is another sign that Google has been carefully watching the evolution of competitors like the Z Fold and studying it to see what features can be improved. Despite being the company’s first move to a phone with a flexible screen, the Pixel Fold definitely doesn’t suffer from many of the issues you usually find in first-generation devices. One thing I would do differently in the future is to use a sleeve instead of a case to make the device a little more slippery when in my pocket.

My one gripe with the design of the Pixel Fold is that it doesn’t open all the way. Admittedly, this is a very minor complaint, but it looks awkward when the phone stands at 179 degrees, just short of being completely flat. During my first review, I thought the phone hinge might loosen over time, but it’s still as strong as ever, which in all other cases is a good thing.

Regardless, for the type of device that many think needs to be handled with kid gloves, the Pixel Fold has proven to be more robust than I thought. And while it looks like Google has significant design changes in store for the next model, I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve seen so far.