Last year Google Pixel Fold failed JerryRigEverything‘s bend test, so we waited 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 the Mohs hardness scale, while the main UTG screen is covered in plastic and scratches at level 2. Things go downhill from there, as the host adds sand and small stones to the main screen, which immediately find their way into the device and the hinge.
The bend test begins at 5:40 and, just like last year, the 9 Pro Fold doesn’t survive the challenge. When the phone is bent from behind, it snaps in half, shattering the main display and separating the back cover. The main culprit here appears to be an antenna line that is mirrored on either side of the foldable display.
The durability test then quickly becomes a teardown, as the phone is wide open. We can see all the important parts of the phone, including the UTG display, motherboard, vapor chamber, cameras, and dual batteries.