Highlights
- The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s hinge is strong
- The inner display is fragile and easily scratched.
- The phone lacks dust protection.
- The teardown revealed a larger battery under the cover screen and a separate USB-C port.
- Repair parts for the Pixel 9 series show significant price differences.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold outer display featuring Gorilla Glass Victus 2 holds up well. (Image credit – JerryRigEverything)
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was on JerryRigEverything durability test videos. While some issues were found, the biggest take from the tests is that the Pro Fold hinge remains one of its strongest features.
Jerry started with the screen. The outer display, featuring Gorilla Glass Victus 2, holds up well, with minor scratches appearing at level six of the text. It also had some deeper scratches at level seven.
However, the inner display turned out to be much more fragile. Google is calling the inner display Super Actua and it is made of Ultra Thin Glass. It scratches at level two of Jerry’s test. Plus, the fingernails were also causing damage to the screen.
Now it was the phone’s exterior’s turn.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is built from high-strength aerospace-grade aluminium. In the hinge, it is made up of a combination of multi-alloy steel, which provides some additional strength.
The biggest issue is the lack of dust protection (IPX8 rating). As soon as Jerry exposed the phone to dirt or sand, the hinge started making grinding sounds.The Pixel 9 Pro Fold performed well in a closed bend test. But things went downhill during the open and bent from the back testing.
The left and right sides of the panels cover the spine of the hinge but there wasn’t not much resistance.
The antenna lines near the hinge are a weak point. This was also the problem with the previous Pixel Fold model.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold cover side screen during the back bend test. (Image credit – JerryRigEverything)
During the bend test, the cover side screen popped off from the case. However, it did not break. The hinge also remained intact, the same as was seen previous version of the phone.
If we compare, Samsung’s Z Fold 6 fared better under similar conditions. It had two halves locking together securely. There was no catastrophic bending.
The video also included a teardown of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The teardown video revealed that the larger battery is placed under the cover screen. The other half of the phone has a smaller battery and the motherboard.
For easier repairs, the USB-C port is on a separate board. This was also a common aspect of the slab-style phones we have seen this year.
The vapour chamber is found under the battery and Tensor G4. Meanwhile, Zach observed, “Most of the thermal heat dissipation happens from the backside, or internal side of the device when the screen is closed, flowing from the processor to the large vapour chamber and then into the centre of the Fold, which is an interesting move since the centre of the phone has that plastic folding screen which I don’t think would be super great for letting heat out…”
Speaking of repairs, we have some updates on that as well.
Listed Repair Parts for the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL
iFixit has revealed that Pixel 9 Pro repair parts reveal an expensive camera and a cheaper rear cover given the new design.
The Pixel 8 Pro rear case worth $172.99 includes the following:
- Rear Panel
- Metal and Plastic Frame
- Edge Bezel
- Rear Camera Bezel and Lens Covers
- External Side Buttons and Internal Button Switches
- Wireless Charging Coil
Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro XL rear cover is worth $92.99 with a new flat design and construction comes with the following –
- Rear Panel
- Rear Camera Bezel and Lens Covers
- Flash
It is also revealed that the rear camera array is expensive by almost $70. Whereas, the display and battery are also up by $10.
The USB-C Charging Assembly costs $42.99. It is not connected to the motherboard anymore.
As for Pixel 9 Pro repair parts, these are mostly the same in cost barring the now expensive USB-C part.
A comparison shows how a more drastic price difference was between Pixel 8 vs 9’s part prices. Google has now merged the two back cameras to make them more affordable. The battery price remains the same.
| Pixel 8 | Pixel 9 | Pixel 8 Pro | Pixel 9 Pro XL | Pixel 9 Pro | |
| Rear | $142.99 (INR 12,000) | $59.99 (INR 5000) | $172.99 (INR 14,500) | $92.99 (INR 7800) | $92.99 (INR 7800) |
| Screen | $166.99 (INR 14,000) | $196.99 (INR 16,500) | $229.99 (INR 19,500) | $239.99 (INR 20,000) | NA |
| Battery | $42.99 (INR 3500) | $42.99 (INR 3500) | $42.99 (INR 3500) | $52.99 (INR 4500) | $52.99 (INR 4500) |
| Rear wide camera | $142.99
(INR 12,000) |
NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Rear ultra-wide camera | $62.99
(INR 5200) |
NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Rear Camera | NA | $159.99 (INR 13,400) | $199.99 (INR 17,000) | $269.99 (INR 22,500) | $259.99 (INR 21,500) |
| Front Camera | $42.99 (INR 3500) | $59.99 (INR 5000) | $42.99 (INR 3500) | $69.99 (INR 5800) | $59.99 (INR 5000) |
| USB-C | NA | $49.99 (INR 4200( | $42.99 (INR 3500) | $49.99 (INR 4200( |
FAQs
Q1. What are the main durability issues with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold?
Answer. The inner display is fragile and easily scratched, and the phone lacks dust protection, causing hinge issues when exposed to dirt.
Q2. How is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold built and how does it perform in durability tests?
Answer. It is made from aerospace-grade aluminium and multi-alloy steel. It performed well in closed-bend tests but struggled with open-bend tests, especially near the antenna lines.
Q3. What did the teardown of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold reveal about its repairability?
Answer. The teardown showed a larger battery under the cover screen, a separate USB-C port for easier repairs, and significant price differences in repair parts compared to the Pixel 8, with the rear camera array being notably more expensive.
Read More: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold camera system
Read More: Google Pixel 9 Pro leaks
Read More : Google Pixel 9 Pro early renders
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