Overview
- In a widely viewed durability video, the foldable broke under a backward bend, the battery swelled and emitted white smoke, and a fire alarm sounded.
- The test also exposed hinge vulnerability to sand with audible grinding despite an IP68 rating, and the inner display showed scratches from a fingernail.
- Zack Nelson said it was the first time in roughly a decade of his smartphone tests that a device ignited on camera, noting the procedures are extreme.
- Google has not responded to media inquiries regarding the incident as of the latest reports.
- Earlier this year Google issued updates addressing overheating on older Pixel models such as the 6a and 4a, though any link to the new foldable remains unestablished.