Google’s New Foldable Phone Catches Fire During Stress Test

A dramatic moment unfolded on YouTube when tech blogger Zach Nelson, the creator of the popular channel JerryRigEverything, watched his Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold burst into flames during a live durability test. The shocking incident was captured in full on camera and has since gone viral across the tech community.

Explosion During Durability Test

Nelson, known for his extreme durability tests on smartphones, was in the middle of a stress test designed to check the flexibility of Google’s latest foldable flagship. As he bent the phone’s frame, the back panel cracked—and within seconds, the device exploded and caught fire, releasing thick smoke directly in his hands.

“Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first phone that burned to ashes,” Nelson said. “In ten years of testing gadgets, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Possible Cause: Battery Damage

Judging by the footage, the explosion was likely caused by a damaged lithium-ion battery after the device’s casing broke. Fortunately, Nelson managed to extinguish the fire before it spread. He later emphasized that all foldable phones from Google share a design weakness—under enough pressure, they tend to bend at the point where the antenna line runs through the chassis.

Google’s Foldable Phones Under Scrutiny

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold was released in early October, becoming Google’s newest attempt to compete in the foldable smartphone segment. However, this incident may reignite debates about the structural reliability and safety of foldable devices.

Just weeks earlier, Nelson criticized the iPhone 17 Pro for its poor scratch resistance, though he admitted that Apple’s flagship model featured a notably durable frame capable of withstanding heavy pressure. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold episode, however, has already become one of the most talked-about failures in the tech world this year.