Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Burns After Bending Test
A YouTuber burns a new smartphone – that would normally not be news. However, in this current case, the experiment might reveal a construction weakness.
The still burning Pixel 10 Pro Fold from Zack Nelson. On the left, the detached front display with copper foil.
(Image: JerryRigEverything)
YouTuber Zack Nelson, known for his channel "JerryRigEverything", has caused a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold to catch fire during one of his usual stress tests. The battery in the front half of the foldable ignited after Nelson first broke the casing and then tried to bend the deformed casing back.
Nelson is an authority when it comes to testing the mechanical robustness of devices. For 10 years, he has regularly conducted such experiments with brand-new devices. He started with repair guides. Since what is now known as "Bendgate", the case of the iPhone 6 in 2014, he has focused more on the mechanical resilience of smartphones. This includes the scratch resistance of displays and casings, but always also bending resistance. Nelson, who is athletic, usually performs his tests with his bare hands, but sometimes also with weights to test theoretical breaking strength.
Dustproof yes, but sand gets stuck in the hinge
The manufacturers' advertising promises are always the focus, as well as whether previous weaknesses have been fixed in new products. In the case of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Nelson initially complained that the device, which is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, is susceptible to sand in the hinge. Sand remained there when the smartphone was repeatedly opened and closed, which constantly caused crunching noises. With a loud hiss, flames, and gas development, the Fold finally gave up during the bending test.
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During the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Nelson noticed that the internal antennas are routed along a longitudinal side and near the hinge, and that the casing can break at this point. Just like with the current device, the 9 Pro Fold broke at this point when trying to open the hinge too far. The large display had long since given up by then; such a stressed foldable is a total loss. According to Nelson, this doesn't have to happen intentionally; it could also be enough for someone to sit on the unfolded device.
Position of the antennas as a weak point
While it remained with mechanical damage on the previous device, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold ignited when Nelson tried to bend the broken casing back: The battery on the front – foldable phones usually have two power sources – ignited. Nelson and other media speak of an "explosion", but according to the video, the term outgassing and fire would be more accurate. This is the consequence of "thermal runaway" of a battery when it is damaged.
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Whether this was facilitated by the position of the components, fragments from the breaking test, a low-quality battery, or other circumstances cannot be determined from the video released this week. However, the clip gives the impression that the battery was almost fully charged, which causes an even more extreme reaction in case of an internal short circuit due to mechanical damage. According to Nelson, in the past 10 years of his tests, there has not been a single fire, even though the YouTuber has broken dozens of devices. Google has yet to respond.
Do not try this at home!
However, it is certain that such experiments and general damage to a battery, especially the lithium-polymer batteries in smartphones and other devices, should absolutely not be replicated. Even batteries that have been inconspicuous so far but have mechanical defects should not be used further. When these power sources catch fire, temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius are generated, which can even exceed 1000 degrees. The fires are difficult to extinguish, and the gases produced can be harmful to health. Our report "Why a battery catches fire and how to prevent it" explains more.
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