Pixel 10 Pro Fold replaces laptop for digital nomad productivity

I am a mobile productivity junkie. Living as a nomad for over a decade, I have tried and replaced a variety of mobile productivity solutions. I've got a laptop, sure. But I'm always on the lookout for a setup that allows me to leave my PC behind and take as little with me to work as possible. 

In an effort to drastically reduce my phone bill, I stumbled upon something great: the Pixel 10 Pro Fold paired with several accessories that I already own. So far, I'm pretty pleased with the results. 

For a good while now, I've been using the Pomera D250 English as my go-to mobile word processor. But to make full use of it, I've had to carry my smartphone with me. The D250 can't do much of anything on its own, except for word processing: that's a feature, not a flaw. I dig that it allows for distraction-free writing. However, to be able to edit, spell check, or email off my words, it's necessary to use Pomera's app to transfer copy from the device to my smartphone using a QR code (or several, depending on the length of the document) to move my work over for polishing and transfer. If I have extensive edits to make or think of something I want to add to my document before uploading it to my editors, I either have to carry a portable keyboard with me or tap out the changes on my smartphone's display. That sucks all kinds of ways from Tuesday. 

Recently, my cellular provider offered me a scorching deal that would provide me with more data than my last plan, free roaming from anywhere on the planet, satellite coverage, and a bunch of other perks. The only catch is that I sign on for a new handset on a two-year term. All of this would cost me over 50% less each month than I'm currently paying. I tend to buy my phones outright to keep my costs lower and to be mobile when I want to move to a different country. But there were no downsides here. I signed my soul away, and my new handset, a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, appeared on my doorstep a few days later. 

I decided to go with a folding phone for several reasons. The first and foremost point is that, while I own a pair of reMarkable tablets, they're not capable of doing traditional tablet tasks. I love how hyper-focused they can keep me on reading and writing, but I look at them more as a smart device accessory than as a solution in and of itself. Because my work requires logging into multiple publishing platforms, staying in touch via text, Slack, Asana, and editing photos in Lightroom and the like, I'm often pulled away from the displays of my Paper Pro devices to take care of other tasks on my phone. So, getting a smartphone that can do double duty as a tablet for reading, typing, and planning makes a hell of a lot of sense. I typically use Apple hardware in my workflow. But the company has been doing a lot lately that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Google's just as bad, if not worse, in many respects, but I thought it was time to see how the other side was living, and especially considering how far Android, the parity of apps found in both the App Store and Play Store, and interoperability of accessories have come in recent years. Right now, for example, I'm writing this post in IA Writer on my Pixel Fold, using a folding mechanical keyboard. I'll upload the file to my ProtonDrive account to drop it into our CMS later today. I'm listening to music streaming from my home server using Plexamp on my AirPod Pro Max. I recently discovered, to my amazement, that these cans are now nearly as functional when paired with an Android device as when connected to an iPhone, thanks to an app called Podslink. I've got a Logitech Pebble 2 mouse on the go to make editing a lot more pleasant. And, all of my MagSafe batteries, accessories, and home charger work with the Fold 10 Pro's Qi magnetic charging interface. Hell, even my HomePod can be connected to this phone via AirMusic. I'm missing out on very little of what iPhone OS affords me. However, as with any setup, there's always room for improvement. 

I wish that the Fold 10 Pro Fold's inner display didn't glare so badly. I suspect that I'll be able to find a matte film for it somewhere. But I don't have much confidence in how that'll work with a folding display. I also miss being able to access my old friend, Scrivener, on this device. But there are worse things that could happen to me. Perhaps most importantly, and I don't know how true it is anymore, I don't feel as safe on Android as I do with iPhone OS. But as I learn more about the platform and become more comfortable in the hacking/ROM community, I suspect that'll change. For now, I've invested in a suite of malware protection software. 

I'm only a few days into using this as my cafe-and-overnight-bag productivity setup, but boy howdy, I'm digging it.