Motorola Razr Gives Up After Being Folded 27,000 Times [UPDATE]

There are two things that worry consumers when it comes to this new breed of foldable phones. Okay, three if you include the price tag. Given the Galaxy Fold's initial blunder, there are concerns about the durability of the flexible display. And given the number of times the device has to be folded and unfolded, there are also worries about how much action the hinge can see. Based on a teardown of the Motorola Razr, the phone's foldable screen isn't as fragile as Samsung's first attempt. The hinge, on the other hand, might be a different matter.

There have already been worries about that hinge. Reviewers have complained about a creaking noise that didn't really inspire confidence in the mechanism. Of course, it will take more than even just a week of constant use to see how far it can go but, fortunately, there are robots for that these days.

CNET has brought back its famous FoldBot that put the second and improved Galaxy Fold to the test last year. Its goal was to take Samsung up on its claim of 200,000 folds. This time, CNET opted for a lower goal, only 100,000. It turns out they should have aimed even lower.

CNET senior editor Lexy Savvides broke thew news on Twitter. In just under five hours, the Motorola Razr stopped closing all the way, she says. And that was just after 27,000 folds, a very far cry from the Galaxy Fold, even if the latter barely exceeded half its advertised durability.

Just like Samsung, we expect Motorola to downplay the test, citing how it doesn't reflect real-world use nor real-world force. Just by those numbers alone, the Motorola Razr isn't going to break in just a year. It still won't satisfy those who will be putting out $1,500 for a phone with some dubious durability.

UPDATE: Motorola has issued an official statement on the matter.