Google’s latest flagship foldable, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, is making headlines for all the wrong reasons — and for a change, it’s not because of software problems or camera quirks.
A recent durability test by YouTube personality JerryRigEverything (Zack Nelson) took a turn for the worse when the phone’s battery overheated, expanded, and caught fire, engulfing the room in smoke and triggering a fire alarm.
In his latest video, Nelson — whose rigorous “bend, burn, and scratch” tests are his trademark — put the Pixel 10 Pro Fold through the wringer. All was usual at first, until it wasn’t in a spectacular fashion. While performing his signature bend test on the foldable, the phone’s internal battery began to swell and smoke, ultimately catching fire and leaving a charred wreckage on his test bench.
“In a decade of testing smartphones, I’ve never had one explode,” Nelson remarked in disbelief. “The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first phone to actually go up in smoke.”
A Test That Went Too Far — But Raises Questions
In fairness, Nelson’s tests are meant to be extreme and far beyond what any sensible user would inflict on their device. He intentionally bent the foldable backward when it was fully open — a clumsy position that literally tore open the phone’s hinge and internal components. The battery didn’t react until Nelson twisted the broken frame even more, putting tremendous pressure on the exposed cells.
Still, even under such abusive circumstances, smartphone batteries very rarely catch fire. Nelson noted that none of the dozens of phones he has put through tests over the past decade — iPhones to Samsung Galaxy phones — have ever burst into flames like that.
That alone has raised eyebrows, especially considering Google’s history of problems with batteries in previous Pixel phones.
Google’s Silence and a Familiar Problem
Google has not commented on the incident as of Sunday. But this is not the first battery controversy the company has encountered in recent times.
Google issued a software update for the Pixel 6A earlier this year after reports of battery overheating, and another for the Pixel 4A to “improve battery performance stability.”
Although those repairs were precautionary, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold debacle reopens (literally) questions about Google’s battery quality control — specifically in its premium, next-generation foldable line.
Experts Weigh In: Not a Design Flaw — But a Battery Reality
The incident likely doesn’t represent a major design fault, says Elizabeth Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability at iFixit.
“As dramatic as it looks, this isn’t necessarily a sign that anything’s wrong with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold,” Chamberlain told The Verge.
“Thermal runaway is a danger inherent to lithium-ion batteries. It happens when the internal layers are compromised, short circuiting the battery internally.”
She also noted that Nelson likely didn’t deplete the battery before his teardown. “Most phones come with around 60% charge out of the box,” she said. “When testing or disassembling a battery, it’s safest to discharge below 25%. Even then, bending that extreme can easily lead to combustion.”
Chamberlain pointed readers to iFixit’s safety guide for handling damaged batteries that warns “jelly roll”-style lithium-ion cells — like those used in most smartphones — will catch fire if damaged physically.
Durability Test Also Reveals Weakness in Hinge
On top of the battery fire, Nelson also put the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s IP68 dust resistance to the test. Despite Google having touted the phone as its “most durable foldable yet,” the result was less than comforting.
Nelson poured dust and debris directly into the hinge mechanism — and immediately heard a series of grinding crunches as particles became lodged internally.
“This is kind of embarrassing,” Nelson said, clearly disappointed. “Google’s hinge design might be water-resistant, but dust is still a killer.”
The hinge, which Google has touted as “gearless” and smoother than other options like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold6, appears to have problems with small debris — a major concern for long-term durability.
Foldables and Fire: A Risky Combination
Foldable phones are engineering marvels, but their thinner, flexible batteries and compact form factors leave less room for incorporating structural strength. That makes them more vulnerable to puncture or overheating when breached.
Tech industry analysts comment that while JerryRigEverything’s tests are extreme, they offer a benchmark for stress on real-world durability — and can expose weak spots the manufacturer might not anticipate.
Given how much Google has invested in its foldable line, even a rumor of a battery problem would be harmful to consumer confidence. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold retails at over $1,699, which puts it squarely in the ultra-premium category — where consumers demand flawless safety and build quality.
Bottom Line
While Nelson’s harrowing experience with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold does not necessarily put average users at risk, it does serve to underscore the ongoing safety challenges of lithium-ion batteries — especially in more complex devices like foldables.
For Google, it is just the latest publicity headache in a year already tainted by thermal problems and software bugs across its Pixel range.
If the company doesn’t issue a clear explanation soon, this viral “foldable fire accident” could ignite more skepticism than sales.
