Just one day after launch, Moto Razr durability problems begin to pile up
An in-store Razr unit with a broken display. That vertical line is not supposed to be there. [credit: Jeremy DeBose ]
So, just how durable is the new Moto Razr? Motorola's nostalgic, folding-display flip phone has a number of unproven features that, after the public failure of the Galaxy Fold, every potential customer should be concerned about. Evidence is starting to pile up that the Razr might be another delicate foldable that isn't up to the task of day-to-day smartphone usage.
In addition to the same display durability issues that the Galaxy Fold had-an OLED display that has to deal with both the stress of bending and an easily damageable plastic display coating-the Razr has a trick hinge system that is a lot more complicated than that of the Galaxy Fold. In an effort to keep the display from creasing deeply, Motorola says the Razr hinge "includes moveable support plates that rigidly support the display when the phone is open but collapse out of the way when the phone is closed." There have been a few sources now that suggest this hinge design isn't going to last.
The first piece of evidence comes from CNET, which just wrapped up a torture test of the Moto Razr with disappointing results. CNET got ahold of SquareTrade's Foldbot, a robot designed to open and close folding smartphones repeatedly until they die. The Galaxy Fold survived the Foldbot for 120,000 folds before the fatigue from bending destroyed the display. CNET was hoping the Razr would last for a similar 100,000-fold torture test, but Moto's phone only lasted for about a quarter of that time. After 27,000 folds, the hinge mechanism jammed up, and the phone wouldn't close anymore.
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