Foldable phones are still struggling in durability tests
Foldable phones still aren't very durable – at least according to some reviewers' experiences with the Motorola Razr and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
In one example, Input's Motorola Razr is practically broken after just a week of use. The phone's screen is peeling away at the hinge, without any real reason besides a temperature change which, frankly, should not harm any phone.
The Razr fared quite poorly in a durability test performed by Cnet, with its hinge failing after being folded just 27,000 times. But having the device fail after seven days of regular use is even more worrying – especially since the Razr is very, very hard to repair.
The Razr's chief, vertically-folding competitor, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip, might turn out to be a bit more durable, given that Samsung has more experience with foldable phones (including a completely botched launch of the original Fold). But that doesn't mean it's flawless.
Samsung claims that the Z Flip's display is actually very thin glass. But when JerryRigEverything put that to the test, scratching the display with a pen, it behaved like plastic, with basically every scratch leaving an ugly, visible mark.
This isn't as bad as having the phone's hinge break, but it does mean owners will have to be extra careful in order to not damage the Z Flip's screen.
We should add that in another recent test, a drop test performed by Cnet, both the Motorola Razr and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip broke on the first 3-feet drop. Ouch.
UPDATE: Feb. 19, 2020, 8:03 a.m. CET A Motorola spokesperson sent us the following statement: "We have full confidence in Razr’s display, and do not expect consumers to experience display peeling as a result of normal use. As part of its development process, Razr underwent extreme temperature testing. As with any mobile phone, Motorola recommends not storing (e.g., in a car) your phone in temperatures below -4 degrees Fahrenheit and above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If consumers experience device failure related to weather during normal use, and not as a result of abuse or misuse, it will be covered under our standard warranty. For more warranty information, please visit: www.motorola.com/device-legal."
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
