Apple iPhone Duo Foldable No Longer Opens Fully Flat After 440,300 Folds
Apple's iPhone Duo foldable stopped opening fully flat after about 440,300 folds on a custom testing rig. The phone still works, with no cracks or crease damage. Meanwhile, early owners are adjusting Touch ID and other settings on a device Apple struggles to keep in stock.
Apple's iPhone Duo foldable no longer opens fully flat in a durability test, after about 440,300 folds on a custom testing machine. The phone still works, but it is the first significant step toward failure, testers said.
The test began three weeks ago on a rig called the Fold-a-Phone, built to find out how many times a foldable can open and close before it breaks. The tester first noticed looseness in the hinge motion during a livestream. The phone was no longer opening with the firm sound heard earlier.
What the test showed
Sensor data, photos and video from the test show the opening force and motion started changing around the 390,000-fold point. The changes built up gradually. Between 12:30 and 1 a.m. on Friday, around 440,300 folds, the screen ran out of time to open completely before the machine closed it again.
The screen now sits roughly 5 to 10 degrees short of fully open. It can still be pushed the rest of the way by hand, though without the snap it had before. The testers found no cracking, no more visible crease and no other failures.
The issue does not meet the test's failure conditions: loss of power, sensors failing to detect the screen in position within the set time, or a screen blackout. The testers plan to keep folding the phone.
How many folds is enough?
The test has subjected the phone to the equivalent of nearly 12 and a half years of folding, assuming 100 folds a day. The testers said that is well beyond what even an avid user would do. They added that an owner who met this behavior might not notice it at first.
Apple has not publicly stated how many folds the iPhone Duo is designed to endure. Guesses inside the testing team range from 500,000, matching Samsung's rating for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, to 1.5 million.
Settings for early owners
Demand for the phone is strong. The iPhone Duo has proven popular enough that Apple cannot keep it in stock, according to a setup guide for new owners.
The Duo does not support Face ID. Owners have to press a finger on the side of the device to authenticate with apps, unlock the phone and use Apple Pay. The guide recommends adjusting Touch ID settings to ease the switch back to the older technology.
It also points to settings that make everyday tasks easier, such as taking screenshots or reaching different parts of the screen. Some owners have also found a few camera tricks helpful.
The testing team streams the Fold-a-Phone on YouTube on weekdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
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