Google reveals the hinge that made the Pixel 10 Pro Fold Dust-Resistant

While the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold does look to be very similar to its predecessor on the outside, there’s quite a few differences on the inside. The biggest difference is the new gearless hinge, which Google is now showing off, with the device officially being available to purchase now.

This hinge is actually a pretty big deal, as it is what allowed the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to achieve an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The first foldable to achieve this level of dust resistance, most others are IP48 which isn’t really resistant to dust, but rocks instead.

In Google’s blog post, the company noted that it used a method for the hinge that was less safe and more aggressive. The reason for this was to give us a better hinge without sacrificing the benefits of “pro-level phones” according to Google.

Going gearless was huge for Google. As you might have figured out, gears can cause issues over time, and accumulate dust between them, which then degrades the opening and closing of the phone. This is actually why a lot of foldables do not open to a fully flat 180-degrees after a few days or even weeks of using the foldable.

Google used CAMs instead of gears

So instead of using gears in the hinge, Google used CAMs, which are mechanical components that convert rotational motion to linear motion, in order to maintain the symmetrical motion. These CAMs are loaded with springs. So when either side of the phone is opened, the other half is forced to follow.

By using a gearless hinge, it allowed Google to offer bigger screens and smaller bezels. As well as adding in a larger battery. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a 5,015mAh capacity battery, the largest in a foldable in the US. And the largest in a foldable that is not using Silicon-Carbon, which is quite the feat.