{"id":892916,"date":"2026-10-24T10:20:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T10:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/892916\/"},"modified":"2026-10-24T10:20:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T10:20:15","slug":"the-iphone-duo-is-now-in-our-custom-made-foldable-phone-test-machine-will-it-beat-the-galaxy-z-fold-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/892916\/","title":{"rendered":"The iPhone Duo Is Now in Our Custom-Made Foldable Phone Test Machine. Will It Beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We want to know how many times you can fold an iPhone Duo<\/a> before it breaks. After waiting over three hours at the Apple store<\/a> on Friday, we bought one of the coveted iPhone Duo foldable phones in Louisville, Kentucky, and brought it back to CNET\u2019s lab, a bespoke facility where I oversee hardware and software testing as the director of lab operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The goal is simple. As of Friday afternoon, my team and I have loaded the iPhone Duo into a proprietary machine we built to test foldable phones<\/a> like Apple\u2019s\u00a0and Samsung\u2019s rival\u00a0Galaxy Z Fold 8<\/a>, which we\u2019ve already started testing. I\u2019ve overseen the methodology and build of this testing rig for months in anticipation of Apple\u2019s long-rumored foldable iPhone. (Read on for how CNET tests foldable phones.)<\/p>\n

We even named our machine to match its purpose: Meet the Fold-a-Phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Meet<\/p>\n

Now, my team of engineers and testing experts will watch the iPhone Duo open and close, open and close, to rigorously and systematically monitor the durability of Apple\u2019s hinge and two screens.<\/p>\n

After all, repeatedly folding a phone with bare hands can only get you so far in understanding the complex forces at play between the magnetics that snap the screen shut and the all-critical hinge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CNET\u2019s Senior Technology Reporter, Abrar Al-Heeti, has done a beautiful job capturing the iPhone Duo\u2019s pros and cons<\/a> in her smart, thorough review. Our Fold-a-Phone machine will add a deep data foundation to complement her real-world experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since Apple hasn\u2019t publicly shared claims of the iPhone Duo\u2019s foldable lifespan, CNET\u2019s Fold-a-Phone machine is poised to provide a wealth of valuable data about Apple\u2019s first foldable phone and competing models in the foldable market.<\/p>\n

And yes, you\u2019d better believe we will use our treasure trove of in-house data to share status updates and comparisons during our ongoing testing window with the Duo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Join CNET\u2019s iPhone Duo livestream<\/a> on YouTube on Monday from 1-5 p.m. ET, where you can follow along live and ask questions about our iPhone Duo testing process.<\/p>\n

The importance of this moment is hard to overstate. Apple\u2019s appearance on the foldable smartfold frontier lags Samsung by seven years (the first\u00a0Galaxy Fold went on sale in the US<\/a>\u00a0in September 2019). Motorola and other phone-makers have long experimented with foldable phones in every shape and size, including a trifold accordion foldable phone<\/a> we first demoed in 2019.<\/p>\n

\"CNET'sMatthew Murray\/CNET<\/p>\n

CNET\u2019s mobile experts, including Al-Heeti and Editor at Large Andrew Lanxon, have discussed the legitimizing effect of the iPhone Duo\u2019s existence<\/a> on the entire foldable phone landscape, which has previously felt like a new-wave fantasy rather than a mainstream riptide.<\/p>\n

In many ways, Apple\u2019s newfound competition with existing foldable phones completes the portfolio. That is precisely why we\u2019re building the Fold-a-Phone now, and why our proprietary machine, methodology and test data will enrich our collective understanding of the capabilities \u2013 and yes, limitations \u2013 of foldable phones as our true next-generation mobile device.<\/p>\n

How CNET\u2019s Fold-a-Phone tests foldable phones like the iPhone Duo<\/p>\n

Most current foldable phones<\/a> are rated for 200,000 to 500,000 folds. As such, we knew we needed to create a robust and adaptable machine that could accommodate book- and flip-style foldable phones of any size, dimension and hinge orientation. (Note: The Fold-a-Phone was not built for trifold phones, which present a unique element to the engineering challenge.)<\/p>\n

Moreover, we wanted to test the phone the way people would actually use it. No one just sits around opening and closing their foldable phone at top speed all day. Rather, you open it naturally, spend a few minutes watching a video, browsing a web page, or using an app, close it, and then put it in your pocket. This may happen dozens of times per day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mimicking this usage on the Fold-a-Phone limits undue stress on the phone hinge and avoids generating excess heat compared to a test built for speed.<\/p>\n

We determined that a cadence of roughly 4 seconds could sidestep technical hurdles while also being reasonably fast. The foldable phone takes 1 second to open, 1 second to fully open, 1 second to close and 1 second to fully close. This cycle counts as a single completed fold. Then, the cycle repeats until either the hinge or the screen gives out.<\/p>\n

In conceptualizing and building the Fold-a-Phone, our team has used standard, off-the-shelf components to simplify the machine\u2019s development. The essential design consists of two armatures, distinctly designed to perform the opening and closing movements with both force and grace.<\/p>\n

\"SamsungMatthew Murray\/CNET<\/p>\n

An industrial-grade stepper motor drives each armature, with the host software (running on a connected computer) deterministically adjusting the torque to complete each step of the process while also protecting the phone. If any of the several proximity sensors fail to detect the armature in the correct position, the machine stops immediately.<\/p>\n

We also monitor the motors\u2019 power usage to track how well the foldable phone opens and closes over time. We have set up cameras to capture images and video of the test from multiple angles, and we will analyze regular status updates from the computer to determine the current status of the phone and the test.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To ensure we never miss a major development, the entire rig is connected to an EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus power station<\/a> to guard against electricity outages, and all the output data is saved to multiple locations.<\/p>\n

To secure each phone to the machine, we use our CNET Lab Test-winning 3D printer, the\u00a0Prusa Core One<\/a>,\u00a0to 3D-print a custom \u201csled\u201d that matches each phone\u2019s exact dimensions. We secure the phone to the sled with heavy-duty double-sided tape (yes, it works!) and then screw the sled onto the machine.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s always room for improvement. We\u2019re constantly looking for ways to make the machine run more smoothly and quietly without disrupting the folding rhythm.<\/p>\n

Apple\u2019s presence is already changing the game and could very well spur innovation in ways we can\u2019t predict today. But until then, our Fold-a-Phone machine will continue to test the iPhone Duo and its competitors, and CNET\u2019s writers will report on how well these individual hinged devices stand up to the challenge \u2013 or fold under pressure.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Matthew\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMatthew Murray\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLab Director\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs lab director for the CNET Group, Matthew leads the Labs team, which helps coordinate and conduct product testing for CNET and other Ziff Davis editorial brands including PCMag and ZDNET. He previously spent eight years as head of testing at Future plc, and before that eight years as an analyst and writer at PCMag. His technology writing has also appeared in publications including Computer Shopper, ExtremeTech, Tom’s Guide, Laptop and Backstage.
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