Highlights
- The Pixel 10 Pro Fold introduces a gearless hinge using spring-loaded CAMs instead of traditional gears.
- This hinge enables larger displays, thinner bezels, a bigger battery, and a more comfortable grip, while helping the device achieve IP68 water and dust resistance.
- Though unveiled in August 2025, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is now officially available.
Caption – Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. (Image credit – Google)
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is now available for buyers and it appears Google is finally opening up. The company has finally shared new insights into the engineering and design choices behind its latest foldable flagship. While the phone may appear visually similar to its predecessor, the company insists it represents a major upgrade, particularly due to its new gearless hinge mechanism and refined build. Here’s what Google shared.
How Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s Gearless Hinge Was Built?
Google recently shared a detailed blog post titled “How we built the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s new gearless hinge.”
Caption – Google shares details of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s new gearless hinge design. (Image credit – Google)
According to Claude Zellweger, who leads the Pixel industrial design team, Google’s designers and engineers took a bold approach this time, opting for what he described as a “less safe and more aggressive path.” This was both in terms of the hinge design and the device’s “aggressive dimensions.” Despite its slightly thicker form factor, the new Pixel Fold delivers substantial improvements in usability, durability, and overall feel.
“We felt that if we’re able to really progress and push our engineering capabilities, we should,” Claude [Zellweger, Pixel industrial design lead] says. That’s how we ended up with what Claude describes as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s “aggressive dimensions,” a better performing camera and more — including an all-new gearless hinge, which made much of the new Fold’s build possible,” the company writes in the blog post.
As the name suggests, the gearless hinge completely eliminates traditional gears. Google chose this design because gears can accumulate dust over time, which may “degrade the basic opening and closing experience that is critical on a foldable.” By removing these components, the company aimed to create a more durable and reliable hinge mechanism.
“The biggest change is that this is what we call a gearless hinge — which literally means it doesn’t have any gears,” says Sangsoo Park, an Industrial Designer at Pixel phones. “The team was interested in this new design because gears can cause issues over time for a hinge: They can be damaged and dust can get stuck between them over time, degrading the basic opening and closing experience that is critical on a foldable. A gearless hinge is more reliable — it will continue to work flawlessly over time,” Sangsoo explains.
In most foldable devices, a hinge typically includes four gears with interlocking teeth that help the two halves rotate symmetrically during folding and unfolding. In contrast, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold uses CAMs, mechanical components that convert rotational motion into linear motion, to achieve the same symmetry. These spring-loaded CAMs ensure that when one half of the phone is opened or closed, the other half follows in perfect alignment.
Google explains, “Typical hinges have four gears with teeth that allow two halves of the device to rotate symmetrically as it opens and closes. The gearless hinge maintains this symmetrical motion using mechanical components called CAMs, which convert one type of motion to another. In this case, they’re converting rotational to linear motion, which allows the hinge to save some space.”
Benefits of the New Design
Caption – Google shares Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s behind-the-scenes details. (Image credit – Google)
The new hinge design not only improves reliability but also contributes to several functional advantages. The gearless system allows for larger displays, thinner bezels, and even a bigger battery, while reducing the overall bulk of the hinge area. Because the hinge now protrudes less from the body, the phone also offers a more comfortable in-hand grip.
Additionally, eliminating the small gaps that gears typically require helped Google achieve an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. It is a significant improvement in durability for a foldable device.
To recall, Google officially introduced the Pixel 10 Pro Fold alongside the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL in August 2025. However, the foldable model has only just become available for purchase, marking the company’s latest step in refining its foldable smartphone lineup.
Here’s an introduction video released at the launch –
EMBED VIDEO – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL3Sp9mv5BY&feature=youtu.be
FAQs
Q1. What makes the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s hinge different from other foldables?
Answer. Unlike traditional hinges that use four interlocking gears, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold features a gearless hinge powered by spring-loaded CAMs, which convert rotational motion into linear motion for symmetrical folding.
Q2. Why did Google choose a gearless hinge design for Pixel 10 Pro Fold?
Answer. Google eliminated gears to reduce dust accumulation and improve long-term reliability. This design also enabled a more compact hinge area, contributing to better grip and IP68 water and dust resistance.
Q3. What are the benefits of the new hinge design for Pixel 10 Pro Fold?
Answer. The gearless hinge allows for larger displays, thinner bezels, and a bigger battery. It also improves durability, enhances comfort in hand, and supports a sleeker overall build.
