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This was an engineering (or as some may say, hinge-a-neering) challenge, though: \u201cGears are straightforward,\u201d says Yongho Lim, who worked on the architecture of the new foldable. And going from the original, rotational motion to linear motion was not. We thought using spring-loaded CAMs on each half might work in place of the gears,\u201d he explains. \u201cWith the CAMs connected across the hinge, when either half of the device is opened, the other would be forced to follow! We knew we were on the right path when we built the first prototypes and the two halves opened perfectly in sync.\u201d And more importantly, when it survived the drop test. \u201cI\u2019ve been working in this field for a long time and have seen thousands of drop tests,\u201d Yongho says. \u201cBut I still hold my breath every time a new design gets dropped for the first time!\u201d<\/p>\n
The new hinge survived \u2014 and allowed the team to keep the product as thin as possible. And since the internal architecture of the phone was completely rearranged, designers had the opportunity to \u201cpush\u201d things a bit more, as Sangsoo puts it. For starters, it meant they could expand the display all the way to the hinge and reduce the border significantly. In fact, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has the largest display on a foldable at eight inches, plus a 6.4-inch outer display thanks to smaller bezels, which shrank in part after taking out the hinge\u2019s gears.<\/p>\n
The new build also helped the team maximize something else they knew people cared about. \u201cThe number one user demand is always better battery,\u201d says Sangsoo. \u201cThe new inner setup meant there was space for a bigger \u2014 better \u2014 one: It has our biggest battery on a foldable device yet, and can last more than 30 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were also the aesthetics of the gearless hinge to consider. \u201cWhen we talk about the hinge, there\u2019s always a lot of conversation around material changes,\u201d says Brian Cutter, who\u2019s a CMF (color, materials and finish) designer for Pixel. \u201cAnd one important thing that we want to do every year is keep the hinge polished.\u201d If it were matte, he says, it would just blend in \u2014 the polish elevates the phone, signaling it fits in with the rest of the pro Pixels. Teams discussed various material options before deciding on aluminum, the same as the phones themselves, which meant Brian\u2019s team could color match nicely and achieve a stunning polish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n