Google notes that “flexible screens are softer than traditional phone screens, so avoid contact with sand, crumbs, fingernails or sharp objects.” Additionally, Google says that the owners should not “remove the pre-installed screen protector,” and that users should “avoid installing third-party screen protectors.” In short, you have to be a little more gentle with foldable phones than your standard glass-and-metal handset. When you first open the Pixel Fold’s box, there’s a warning that calls attention to the phone's display. While foldables have been around for a few years, now that Google is getting into the game, there are some things that potential first-time flexible phone buyers should be aware of.

That said, I've been using a foldable phone as my daily driver for the last three years, so I may be more used to it than most. But Google has managed to minimize how distracting it is. You can feel it with your fingers and, depending on the angle, you can see it too. It's about time I addressed the elephant in the room: Yes, there's a crease. And that extra space around the hinge lets you hold the Pixel Fold like a paperback book, which is especially satisfying when you're using it as an e-reader. There’s actually room for an 8-megapixel camera in the top right corner. This means there's no need for a low-res under-display selfie camera like on the Z Fold 4. Instead of going for a completely bezel-less design like most traditional phones, Google gave the Pixel Fold slightly larger love handles. After starting a clip on the outside screen, you can just unfold the phone, expand it and voila, no need to rotate. One side effect of having a wider screen on the outside is that when you open the Pixel Fold, you get a landscape orientation that’s great for watching videos.

And unlike so many other flexible phones, the Pixel Fold has an IPX8 rating for water resistance, so you don't need to fear an accidental splash or submersion. Unless your jeans are painted on, you shouldn't have much trouble fitting the Pixel Fold in a pocket. It measures less than 6mm thick and around 12.1mm when closed, so despite being a touch heavier than the Z Fold 4, it feels more balanced. Perhaps more importantly, Google has done some nifty things with the Pixel Fold's hinge and chassis so there's essentially no gap between the phone’s halves while still being extremely thin.

No pixel mods for sims 4