The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is being marketed by Google in some regions as the world’s thinnest and most durable foldable smartphone. It has a design that’s drastically different from the first-generation Pixel Fold and comes with some impressive hardware specs. Unfortunately, reducing the thickness of the flagship phone does lead to some weak spots in the armor, and one YouTuber clearly shows that bending the Pixel 9 Pro Fold the wrong way can be an extremely costly mistake.

A major design flaw of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is that Google places an antenna line on a specific part of the main display, causing it to snap easily

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold found its way into the hands of Zach from JerryRigEverything, and most readers already know what “rite of passage” this flagship will go through. Google is using a solid aluminum construction for its latest handset, suggesting the company has spared no expense in making its second-generation foldable smartphone as premium as possible. However, when it comes to preventing dust from getting inside, the advertising giant will have to redesign it for the next model while also evaluating the IP68 rating.

Once gravel and dust get inside the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the hinge creak is immediately audible, which can be unpleasant if your device suffers a similar fate in the future. However, dust getting into the small crevices should be the least of your worries because when the content creator comes to the bend test, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold breaks without much effort and the larger display breaks. This turn of events shows that Google did little to improve the design of the first-generation model and is due to the company adding an antenna line that runs from the top to the bottom of the display.

It’s puzzling why Google would include this antenna in a device that’s already exceptionally thin, but the company has said that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a stronger hinge compared to the previous generation, but doesn’t mention overall structural rigidity. Hopefully the company’s design and development team will take a close look at this durability test and make sure the third iteration doesn’t fail so easily. Anyone who hasn’t received their Pixel 9 Pro Fold yet should watch the video above so they know exactly what to expect.

News source: JerryRigEverything