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CNET reports that its iPhone Duo has completed more than 100,000 folds in the outlet’s custom Fold-a-Phone test rig. The test measures repeated opening and closing, but the milestone is not a claimed lifespan rating: Apple has not publicly stated how many folds the Duo is designed to withstand.
CNET says its iPhone Duo has passed 100,000 opening-and-closing cycles in the outlet’s custom Fold-a-Phone testing machine, a continuing durability test of Apple’s first foldable phone. The milestone records how many cycles the test unit has completed; it does not establish the Duo’s expected lifespan, which Apple has not publicly specified.
CNET’s lab team began the test on Friday, the day the company says Apple’s first foldable phone launched. The unit is secured in the outlet’s Fold-a-Phone rig at its Louisville, Kentucky, lab, where a motorized mechanism repeatedly opens and closes the device while the team monitors its hinge and screens. CNET reported that the counter passed 100,000 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
The rig uses a cycle lasting about four seconds: one second to open the phone, one second to reach its fully open position, one second to close it, and one second to reach fully closed. CNET says the pace is intended to approximate repeated everyday use rather than run the phone at maximum speed. The machine also tracks motor power, uses position sensors to stop if an armature is not where it should be, and records the test with cameras and computer data.
CNET says its team designed the rig to test book-style and flip-style foldables, but not trifold phones. Custom 3D-printed mounts hold each handset in place. The outlet says the test is ongoing and that it plans to publish further status updates and comparisons, including results from a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 that it has also begun testing. No failure point for the iPhone Duo was reported at the 100,000-cycle mark.
100,000 Folds And Counting For The iPhone Duo
CNET’s custom Fold-a-Phone rig has passed a major cycle milestone. The count is a live lab result—not a promised lifespan or an Apple durability rating.
A controlled cycle, repeated
CNET says a motorized rig opens and closes the phone at a steady cadence while the lab tracks movement and machine behavior.
Motor-driven arms
Industrial-grade stepper motors move two armatures. Custom 3D-printed mounts secure different book-style and flip-style phones.
Sensors + records
Position sensors can stop the rig if an arm is out of place. Cameras and computer data record the test; motor power is also monitored.
Built for continuity
CNET reports backup power and multiple data storage locations. The rig is designed for book and flip phones, not trifold devices.
A milestone, not a lifespan
The test unit passed 100,000 cycles.
That is a repeatable observation under CNET’s lab method, useful for following how a hinge and screens behave over time.
The count alone does not predict how long every owner’s phone will last. The report gives no failure point at 100,000, no detailed condition assessment at that moment, and no Apple-published fold rating for the iPhone Duo.
CNET cites 200,000–500,000 folds as general context for many current foldables. Those figures are not a specification for this device.
Illustrative comparison only. The test milestone and broad industry context are not equivalent to a rated lifespan.
The next data matters
CNET plans further status updates as the device continues cycling. More condition details could make the count more informative.
Hinge and screen changes
Future reports may describe visible wear, measured changes, or a failure as the test continues.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 test
CNET says it has begun testing a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. No results or shared comparison endpoint have been reported yet.
“How many times can we fold the iPhone Duo?” CNET lab operations director · Describing the test’s goal
What the report says
What does 100,000 folds mean?
CNET says the test unit completed more than 100,000 opening-and-closing cycles in its rig.
Did it fail at that count?
No failure at 100,000 cycles was reported. CNET says the ongoing test passed the milestone.
How does the machine work?
Motor-driven arms cycle the phone in about four seconds. Sensors, cameras, and computer data help monitor the setup.
How many folds is it rated for?
Apple has not publicly stated a fold-lifespan rating for the iPhone Duo, according to the report.
From cycle to conclusion
A Durability Test Beyond Hand Use
The milestone gives readers a repeatable observation of a foldable phone under sustained cycling, rather than a durability impression based only on ordinary handling or a short review period. That can help show how the hinge and screens behave over time, although a lab cycle count cannot by itself predict how long every owner’s phone will last.
Foldable phones face a mechanical challenge that conventional slab phones do not: their screens and hinges must repeatedly move while remaining usable. CNET’s rig is designed to record that process at a controlled cadence and track changes during the test. Its data may add useful evidence to the discussion of foldable-phone reliability, particularly if the outlet later reports a failure or compares results across devices.
The result is also relevant because Apple’s entry puts a major smartphone maker into a category already served by rivals. CNET describes the iPhone Duo as Apple’s first foldable, arriving years after Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold went on sale in the United States in September 2019. The test does not settle how the Duo compares with those phones, but it creates a basis for a future comparison under the same lab’s method.
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How CNET Built the Fold-a-Phone
CNET says it developed the Fold-a-Phone over several months in anticipation of Apple’s foldable device. The lab designed it to accommodate different dimensions and hinge orientations for book- and flip-style phones. Its two armatures are driven by industrial-grade stepper motors, with connected software adjusting torque during each movement.
The outlet says several safeguards are built into the setup. Proximity sensors can stop the machine if an armature is out of position, while a backup power station is intended to guard against an outage. Test output is saved in multiple locations, and cameras capture the phone from different angles. CNET also says it monitors motor power use as one way to track how the mechanism’s performance changes as testing continues.
The testing method is intended to avoid needless stress from unusually fast cycling. CNET says people typically open a phone, use it for a while, and close it, rather than fold it repeatedly at high speed. The four-second cycle is the lab’s chosen compromise between a steady test and a pace it considers closer to normal use; it is not a direct simulation of every person’s daily habits.
“How many times can we fold the iPhone Duo?”
— CNET’s lab operations director, describing the test’s goal
What 100,000 Folds Cannot Show
The reported count is a test milestone, not a durability rating. CNET did not say that the iPhone Duo failed at 100,000 cycles, nor did it report a final endpoint. The phone’s condition at the milestone beyond continuing through the test, and any visible wear or measured change in the hinge or screens, was not detailed in the supplied report.
Apple has not publicly provided a fold-lifespan claim for the Duo, according to CNET. The lab notes that many current foldable phones are rated for 200,000 to 500,000 folds, but those figures are general context, not a published specification for this iPhone. The report also does not establish whether the lab’s results will match long-term use across different environments, handling patterns, or individual devices.
There is no direct comparison yet with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, despite CNET saying that testing of that model has begun. The outlet has not provided results from that test or described a shared end point for comparing the phones. Until further data is published, the 100,000 figure should be read as the number of cycles completed by CNET’s test unit, not a prediction of how long an owner’s phone will last.
CNET Plans More Test Updates
CNET says the iPhone Duo will remain in the Fold-a-Phone rig while the team monitors its operation and records further data. The outlet has said it plans to share status updates and comparisons during the ongoing test. Those reports may clarify whether the hinge or screens show changes, how many cycles the unit completes, and how its results compare with other foldables tested by the lab.
The next meaningful milestone will depend on what happens to the handset as testing continues. CNET has not announced a completion date or a predetermined stopping point. Until it reports a failure, an end to testing, or more detailed condition measurements, the cycle count will remain an interim result rather than a final durability verdict.
Key Questions
What does the 100,000-fold figure mean?
It is the number of opening-and-closing cycles CNET says its iPhone Duo completed in the Fold-a-Phone rig by 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. CNET has not described it as the phone’s lifespan or a guaranteed durability rating.
Did the iPhone Duo fail at 100,000 folds?
No failure at that count was reported. CNET said the test passed the milestone and is continuing, but the supplied report does not provide a detailed condition assessment of the phone.
How does CNET’s testing machine work?
Motor-driven arms open and close the phone in a roughly four-second cycle. CNET says sensors can stop the rig if an arm is out of position, while cameras and computer data help the team monitor the test.
How many folds is the iPhone Duo rated for?
Apple has not publicly stated a fold-lifespan rating for the iPhone Duo, according to CNET. The outlet cited a general range of 200,000 to 500,000 folds for many current foldable phones, but that range is not an Apple specification.
Will CNET compare it with Samsung foldables?
CNET says it has also started testing Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 and plans to share updates and comparisons. It has not yet published comparative results or said when they will be available.
Source: CNET
