Pixel 9 Pro Fold reveals its weaknesses in iFixit teardown

Google’s latest folding phone, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, shows no significant improvements over its predecessor in the durability tests carried out by repair professionals iFixit. In the teardown, iFixit praises the repairability, but the experts see both positive and negative aspects of the new model. Google

Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Old weaknesses, new strengths

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the successor to the first Pixel foldable phone, has now been subjected to various stress tests by iFixit. It was found that Google has not made any significant progress in the durability of the device. According to the report, the new model has Bending tests revealed similar weaknesses as its predecessor.

Durability put to the test

The well-known YouTuber JerryRigEverything has already carried out a hardness test in which the outer display made of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 had scratches at level six, while deeper grooves became visible at level seven. The inner foldable display made of Ultra Thin Glass was already susceptible to scratches at level two and could even be damaged with fingernails. Now iFixit is also taking a closer look at the smartphone. Pixel 9 Pro Fold in the iFixit teardown

Focus on modularity and repairability

What was particularly noticeable was that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offered little resistance when it was opened when it was bent from behind. The antenna lines next to the hinge proved to be a weak point, which led to the outer display detaching. The hinge itself survived the test unscathed – a parallel to the previous model. Despite the weaknesses in durability, there are also positive aspects.

iFixit, known for detailed teardowns of electronic devices, praised the modularity of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in a recent video. Shahram Mokhtari of iFixit even called it “the most exciting folding phone we’ve seen on the iFixit teardown table so far”. The easily replaceable wear parts such as the USB-C port and the SIM card slot were particularly highlighted. The use of 3IP screws throughout the device was also rated positively. The outer display and the back cover could be removed with pry tools – a plus point for potential repairs.

There was criticism of the 4.68 Wh and 13.4 Wh batteries, which could not be removed using the existing pull strips. The foldable inner display could also not be removed without damage. This only makes it unnecessarily complicated to repair – and expensive if more damage is caused by a repair attempt.

The results of the tests show that while Google has made progress in repairability, the fundamental challenges with the durability of foldable phones still remain. This could pose a difficult decision for potential buyers.

Overall, the foldable phone category remains very tricky from a repairability standpoint. There’s no denying that the internal screens are delicate and prone to damage, and the mechanical nature of the hinge mechanism provides additional opportunities for dust and liquid ingress that could become a problem at some point. iFixit

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was announced in August as part of the annual “Made by Google Event” and has been available in the US since the beginning of September and recently also in EU.

Technical data of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Alexia Hope

Alexia is the author at Research Snipers covering all technology news including Google, Apple, Android, Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung News, and More.