Overview

• Zack Nelson’s JerryRigEverything video shows the phone snapping along antenna lines near the hinge, a recurring failure point from prior Pixel foldables.
• After the break, further bending pinched battery layers and triggered a short that produced smoke on camera, which Nelson says is the first such incident in a decade of his tests.
• Dust and sand entered the hinge during a grit test despite the model’s IP68 billing, with pronounced grinding noises suggesting limited hinge sealing.
• iFixit’s Elizabeth Chamberlain says thermal runaway can occur when battery insulation is breached in extreme tests and notes the phone likely wasn’t discharged before testing.
• Google had not responded to requests for comment in early reports, as coverage notes the episode could weigh on consumer confidence despite the test’s severity.