YouTubers Tim Pan and Joanna Stern put the iPhone Duo through its paces, torture testing the folding screen and hinge to see if it will hold up over the long haul.
The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first entry into the foldable space and represents one of the biggest risks the company has taken in years with its largest money maker. Android phone makers, such as Samsung, Google, and Motorola have been making foldables for years but, true to fashion, Apple wanted to wait until the underlying technologies had matured before wading into the market. In recent interviews, Apple CEO John Ternus and other execs have said the technology has finally reached the point where the company can deliver the experience its customers expect.
At the time it was announced, Apple said “the hinge is engineered from more than 100 components to precisely control opening and closing and support the center of the display, delivering a smooth, satisfying feel. Internally, support ribs reinforce the structure for added stiffness, while antenna splits with ceramic fiber inserts enhance the frame’s rigidity.”
Pan and Stern decided to put Apple’s durability claims to the test, according to Digital Trends. Pan folded the iPhone Duo 11,500 times, including 1,000 times in -4°F. While the crease became more noticeable after 500 folds, it became much more noticeable after 10,000. While that certainly shows that the iPhone Duo is not immune to its crease becoming more visible over time, 10,000 folds equates to years of use.
Similarly, Stern tested the durability of the hinge itself, rather than the visibility of the crease, folding it more than 32,000 times. Despite the abuse, Stern could not notice a discernible difference in day-to-day use, although instrumentation revealed the hinge actually became a bit stiffer by the end of the test.
All-in-all, the tests show a promising future for Apple’s foldable. While the Duo is clearly not immune to the visual issues that plague all foldables, it holds up better than some others.