Last year’s Google Pixel Fold failed JerryRigEverything’s bend test so we’ve been waiting to see if its successor – the Pixel 9 Pro Fold can survive the durability test.
The start is promising – the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protected cover screen scratches at level 6 on Mohs hardness scale while the main UTG screen is covered in plastic and scratches at a level 2. It’s all downhill from there as the host adds sand and small rocks on the main screen which immediately find their way inside the device and its hinge.
The bend test starts at the 5:40 mark in the video, and like last year, the 9 Pro Fold does not survive this challenge. When bent from the back, the phone snaps in two which kills its main display and unclips the cover screen in the process. The main culprit here appears to be an antenna line which is mirrored on both sides of the folding screen.
The durability test then quickly becomes a teardown since the phone is wide open. We can see all of the phone’s key components including the UTG screen, mainboard, vapor chamber, cameras, and dual batteries.