Watch: Google Pixel Fold “Explodes” During Durability Test 

The long-rumored iPhone Fold could finally become a reality in the next few years, according to industry insider and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who recently revealed new details about the smartphone’s construction costs. But that’s not the focus here. The spotlight we shine is on YouTuber JerryRigEverything, who put Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold through a durability test that ended in a catastrophic fire. 

“This is by far the weakest folding smartphone I’ve ever tested,” JerryRigEverything, also known as Zack Nelson, stated in the video. “And it gets worse. While straightening it back out for round two, the battery decides it’s had enough. Surprisingly, in the decade that I’ve been durability-testing phones, I have never had a smartphone explode before.” 

Nelson continued, “The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first phone to go up in smoke.” And while he explained this is an extreme test,” he added that “I’ve also subjected every mainstream smartphone made in the past 10 years to these exact same tests. And this is the first time I’ve ever had one fail so spectacularly to the point where my fire alarm is going off.”

the Pixel 10 pro fold HAS EXPLODED in the latest JerryRigEverything durability test 😭 pic.twitter.com/ZyeOK3cknF

— Holly – I like tech (@AnxiousHolly) October 14, 2025

iFixit’s Elizabeth Chamberlain told The Verge, “As dramatic as a battery fire is, we don’t think this is necessarily a sign that something is wrong with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold design. The possibility of thermal runaway is just a reality of Li-ion batteries. Looks like Zack probably didn’t discharge the battery before opening up the phone (most new phones have 60%+ charge out of the box). We usually recommend discharging a battery below 25%, but with the extreme stresses Zack places on devices, that may even be too high.”

As for the first foldable iPhone, rumored for release in 2027, let’s hope Apple irons out all the kinks before its commercial launch.