The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first IP68 folding phone, and that's a huge deal here's why
Date:
Sun, 24 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000
Description:
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is now the easy if you ask me, only choice for folding phone fans. IP68 is a huge step forwards for these cutting-edge and complex devices.
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So, the Made by Google showcase was interesting to say the least, but amid
the stilted celebrity cameos and general chaotic energy of Jimmy Fallon, we were given our first proper look at the Google Pixel 10 , Google Pixel 10 Pro , Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
And, if you couldnt tell from Fallons excited yells during the reveal segment (I can still hear him calling out "IP SIXTY EIGHT!"), the Pixel 10 Pro Fold
is the first folding phone to achieve an IP68 rating against dust and water ingress. This means the Google's new folding phone is able to survive submersion in freshwater, and is totally dust sealed.
Now, the previous-generation Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold was already able to survive a dip thanks to its IPX8 rating, but its that dust sealing the 6 in IP68 that changes the game.
Ive used a few of the best folding phones around, including a three-month stint using the OnePlus Open as my daily driver, but in the back of my mind Ive always worried about their lower or non-existent dust protection rating.
The idea that a rogue bit of pocket lint or a particularly dusty environment could cause permanent damage to the internals of my phone was never something I could quite get over. Deflecting dust I loved my time with the OnePlus
Open, but its IPx4 rating never filled me with confidence. (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
An IP68 rating would do a lot to alleviate these worries. Though it isnt something we really test for here at TechRadar, durability really matters like its siblings, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will get seven years of OS updates, so anything that helps the phone survive physically for as long as it will digitally is a big plus.
An IP68 rating is also significant in that it puts the Pixel 10 Pro Fold on a more even footing with its slab phone contemporaries.
As one of TechRadars Gen-Z representatives, I can just about remember a time when even a splash of water on a smartphone was enough to get people panicking. Early smartphones were many things, but durable wasnt always one
of them.
Dust-proofing and submersion resistance became standard around the
mid-to-late 2010s in fact, the first Pixel phone to carry an IP68 rating was the Google Pixel 3 , released in 2018. Id wager that most phone users never think about dust protection, and never expect theyll have to. IP68 has been standard on Google Pixel flagships since the Google Pixel 3, released in 2018 (Image credit: Future)
Thats why the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold matters: it removes one more barrier
to entry for someone switching from a regular slab phone to folding phones. And from an engineering perspective, I simply have to hand it to Google: dustproofing a device with so many moving parts is seriously impressive.
Before this years Made by Google event, I noted how the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold would get my exclusive recommendation as the only folding phone people should buy if it launched with an IP68 rating.
Ill have to wait until our full Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review is out to
know whether my former statement still stands, but in the absence of any
major issues Im confident it will. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold takes a major step from cutting-edge curiosity to true everyday device, and thats something that cant be taken for granted with such a complex handset.
Still, if the Pixel 10 Pro Fold just isnt your cup of tea, our guide to the best folding phones has plenty of great handsets to choose from. Let us know your thoughts on the first IP68 folding phone in the comments below. You
might also like The iPhone 17 could get these leaked TechWoven cases, but Apple fans still miss its old leather cases Google has ditched Battery Share on the Pixel 10 but for a good reason I thought the Galaxy Z Fold 6 was fantastic, but Samsungs Z Fold 7 makes me forget it ever existed
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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/phones/google-pixel-phones/the-google-pixel-10-pro-f old-is-the-first-ip68-folding-phone-and-thats-a-huge-deal-heres-why
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