Book-style folding phones carry daunting price tags.
They’re impressive pieces of tech, and I love the improvements both Samsung and Google made this year, but there’s no doubt they are a significant investment.
Most buyers aren’t willing to shell out that kind of cash just to use the phone like they would a traditional slab device.
That’s what makes my Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold special. I’m able to get the functionality of most of the tech I’d carry daily on one device.
I still can’t control the price, and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will set you back around $1,500 with Black Friday sales. Any discount is a good one, but that’s still quite a bit of value that has to be made back up.
Here’s how the Pixel 10 Pro Fold replaces half my tech setup, and how I get $1,500 of value from Google’s book-style folding phone.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold easily replaces a tablet
That’s $500 off the tab right away
I often carry either a tablet or a laptop when I know I’ll be somewhere I can get some work done.
I love having a tablet on hand because it gives me a large canvas to work with and has the added benefit of being fantastic for watching videos or movies.
Thankfully, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold easily replaces the tablet in my bag. Its expansive 8-inch internal screen is ideal for watching content or seeing more of a web page or document.
Reading emails is a pleasure on my Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and I can navigate PDF files more easily.
If you’re a tablet gamer, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is enough to scratch that itch on the go, and it beats having to carry around a bulky tablet all day.
Google’s latest foldable isn’t exactly thin and light, but it still compares favorably to a full tablet.
I always knew book-style folding phones could replace my tablet, but the battery life wasn’t strong enough for me to have confidence to make the switch.
That’s less of a concern with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which offers the best battery life of any large foldable I’ve used.
Making it through an entire day of use with a heavy portion of that on the internal display isn’t as anxiety-inducing as it used to be.
If I bring my laptop, I want to get work done
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold does the job
If I bring a laptop out with me, it’s to get work done. I want to have multiple windows open at once and be able to type articles.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold can handle both. Multitasking on the internal display is excellent, and I can have Slack open with Google Chrome or Gmail.
It’s an ideal way to work, pulling information from several sources and responding to messages without constantly opening and closing apps on my traditional smartphone.
I wish more developers would update their apps for larger form factors, but that’s a discussion for another day.
I’m a writer, so I want to be able to work on stories throughout the day. I don’t mind thumb typing, but there is no way I’m writing 1,000 words like that.
Instead, I throw a stand on my Pixel 10 Pro Fold using the Qi2 magnets and pull out a Bluetooth keyboard.
Sure, it’s bulkier than just carrying around my phone, but it still saves more space and weight than a full laptop.
I get access to Google Docs, and I’m able to write full articles, and the display is large enough that I’m not squinting or frustrated by the experience.
It’s also an excellent phone
I would carry a flagship anyway
I enjoy flagship smartphones, and buying one in 2025 will set you back at least $1,000, with many (including the Pixel 10 Pro XL) touching over $1,200.
Above its other advantages, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is an excellent smartphone.
Google made the cover screen larger, giving my thumbs more room to type when I don’t want to unfold the device.
The Tensor G5 is powerful enough for everything I want to do, and I appreciate the phone’s 16GB of RAM.
Material 3 Expressive is my favorite Android 16 software right now, and the phone is well-supported, with plenty more years of Android updates still to come.
As I mentioned, the battery life is fantastic, and the cameras produce sharp, crisp images with excellent low-light performance.
I could do a lot worse than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and that’s without considering its other features.
It’s still expensive, but you can make a case
I understand the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is on sale for Black Friday, but $1,500 is still a significant amount of money.
However, when you lay it out, you can absolutely build the value in the phone.
If you’re comfortable replacing other pieces of your tech daily carry, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might actually wind up saving you money with a device that fits in your pocket.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold isn’t for everyone, but if you sit down and plan it out, it might very well be for you.
8.5/10
- SoC
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Google Tensor G5
- RAM
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16GB
- Storage
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256 GB / 512 GB/ 1TB with Zoned UFS
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold offers Gemini AI features and can withstand an impressive 10 years of screen folding. This smartphone is an investment that’ll last for years to come.
