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So how many times can he really fold?
CNET tested the device using a folding machine he created himself, to see if the device would actually fold 100,000 times – a target set by the site’s writers for the device (the Galaxy Fold survived 120,000 folds). The findings were far from that, and very worrying for those considering spending $ 1,500 on the folding device. CNET managed to fold the device only 27,000 times until it stopped folding (video below).
At CNET we planned to test the device over about 12 hours until it reaches the number of folds they wish. The problem is that after about four hours the axis of the device began to produce strange noises and in the region of 27,000 folds, as shown in the video, the device failed to fold until it closed. After a bit of playing outside the folding machine, the device managed to shut down – but did not fold completely when reloaded for the machine test.
CNET claimed that based on their test results, and according to the number of times Americans check their phone a day (52 times a day on average from data collected in 2018, with other data showing an almost double number), the RAZR will survive a little over a year and a half of day use -Daily – a very problematic figure for such an expensive device.
Motorola very quickly went on the defensive following the video that gained momentum and uploaded a video to YouTube called “The real folding test of the RAZR” when the company emphasized that the device “will fold for years”. The company also attacked the folding robot that used CNET, a robot made by SquareTrade.
Motorola’s response stated that “the robot is not designed to test our device, so all tests performed using this robot will apply unnecessary pressure to the device’s axis and will not allow the device to open and close in the manner intended for it. It is important to remember that the RAZR has undergone comprehensive durability tests during its development and the CNET test can not attest to the day-to-day consumer experience. ”
A comparison of the Motorola and CNET videos shows that the media test was indeed much more aggressive and put a lot of pressure on the axle, as the screen did not appear to suffer any damage even when the device failed to fold. Motorola’s test, on the other hand, seems very subtle in comparison, so it’s not clear where on this spectrum the truth lies in terms of the device’s folding capabilities over time.
Watching the relatively few videos of the device online since it went on sale to the general public, it seems that its axis creaks in some devices even without performing folding tests for many hours – not a feature (or bug, depending on who you ask) that will encourage its purchase.