Fresh Pixel 10 Pro Fold details have seemingly leaked, and one element in particular could be particularly significant for the wider foldable market.

According to Android Headlines, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold will launch with a redesigned hinge at next month’s launch event. This will serve to slim Google’s third-generation foldable out significantly.

One knock-on effect of this will apparently be smaller bezels, which will lead to a slightly larger external display. Instead of the 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro Fold display, we’ll be getting a 6.4-inch example.

There’s another knock-on effect of this hinge design that could fundamentally transform the foldable market.

Google to implement dust-busting technology?

According to the same report, that new hinge design will mean that the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold will be the one of the first foldable phones with proper IP68 certification.

Perhaps the biggest flaw with any foldable phone to date has been the lack of proper dust resistance. The likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra, will all hold up to water just fine, but lack all but the most basic of dust ingress protection thanks to their mechanical hinge mechanisms.

Not so with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, it seems. Google has allegedly cracked the code, meaning no bits of grit or dust will be able to get into those gaps around the hinge.

With rumours that Samsung may bring IP68 protection to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Google may not be the first to market with this breakthrough foldable feature, but we’ll see. With around a month in between launches, this would be a pretty minor distinction.

The main thing to note is that foldables could be set for a major breakthrough.