Decade-Old iPhone Duo Concept Survives Over 440,000 Folds in Durability Test

An experimental folding device known as the iPhone Duo has managed to withstand an impressive 440,300 opening and closing cycles before failing on a specialized testing apparatus. The hardware, which represents more than a decade of speculative folding designs, was subjected to continuous automated stress testing on CNET's custom Fold-A-Phone rig over a three-week period.

While the device ultimately succumbed to the rigorous mechanical torture, testers noted that the threshold for failure required a volume of use far exceeding what any typical user could physically accomplish in daily life. The endurance test provides a fascinating look at the theoretical durability of early folding form factors compared to modern commercial foldables currently dominating the market.

Should you buy it?

You cannot buy the iPhone Duo, as it remains a conceptual novelty rather than a commercial product, but the endurance milestone bodes well for the future durability of foldable phone engineering.