CNET has started its iPhone dual-screen crack test by loading the iPhone Duo into its Fold-a-Phone machine. The machine will fold Apple’s first foldable phone 900 times an hour, giving readers a first durability benchmark for the hinge and two screens.
Abrar Al-Heeti on Friday
Abrar Al-Heeti reviewed the iPhone Duo and captured its pros and cons, while CNET bought the phone after waiting over three hours at the Apple store on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky. That purchase moved the device from launch-day curiosity to a test subject on the same day, which gives the durability run an immediate real-world edge.
Fold-a-Phone versus Galaxy Z Fold 8
CNET says engineers and testing experts will monitor the hinge and both screens as the machine runs. The test is meant to generate data on Apple’s first foldable phone, and CNET says Apple has not publicly shared claims about the device’s foldable lifespan.
The comparison is sharper because CNET says Apple’s foldable entry trails Samsung by seven years, and it points to the first Galaxy Fold going on sale in the US in September 2019. CNET also says most current foldable phones are rated for 200,00, so the question is not whether the iPhone Duo folds, but how far it gets before wear shows up.
Monday iPhone Duo livestream
CNET will host an iPhone Duo livestream on YouTube on Monday from 1 to 5 p.m. ET, which gives readers a live look at the machine doing the work rather than waiting for a polished recap. Andrew Lanxon is part of the CNET coverage around the device, and the live stream should be the first place to watch for any early durability result.
