How trying to take photos at the Pixel Fold at the beach went. #Vergecast
Attempting to photograph the Google Pixel Fold at a sandy beach resulted in sand entering its hinge and a near encounter with ocean water, but the phone ultimately survived.
Takeways• Pixel Fold easily collects sand in its hinge and screen when placed on soft surfaces.
• Foldable phones are vulnerable to environmental elements like sand and water.
• Despite harsh treatment, the Pixel Fold survived significant exposure to sand and near-submersion.
A reviewer's attempt to capture aesthetic photos of the Google Pixel Fold at a man-made beach led to significant contamination and damage concerns. Placing the unfolded phone directly on sand caused it to sink and sand to infiltrate its hinge, resulting in a crunching sound. A subsequent attempt to photograph it near the water almost submerged the device, highlighting the fragility of foldable phones in challenging environments.
Pixel Fold and Sand Interaction
• 00:00:00 The reviewer brought the Pixel Fold to a sandy beach for a photo shoot, expecting it to rest gracefully on the sand. However, the unfolded phone immediately sank into the sand, allowing grit to get into the corners of the screen and deep into its hinge. This incident caused a crunching sound when opening and closing the phone, indicating potential damage from the sand's abrasive nature.
Near-Submersion Incident
• 00:01:19 Following the sand incident, the reviewer placed the Pixel Fold next to the water for another photo, believing it could be quickly retrieved if a wave approached. A wave did reach approximately halfway over the unfolded phone before it was snatched to safety, narrowly avoiding complete submersion. Despite these incidents, the phone was dried off, and visible sand was removed, with compressed air used at home to clear out remaining debris.