How durable are the iPhone Duo hinge and display after thousands of folds? We now have an indication

As with any new foldable phone, durability is of greater concern simply because there are more variables. There’s a hinge with a finite number of opens and closes and a slim display that creases down the middle.

That’s certainly the case with the iPhone Duo – especially as it’s a first generation model and possible the first foldable phone purchased by those with a serious aversion to Android.

Apple has yet to share data on the amount of lifetime folds the hinge has been designed to withstand. The issue of the screen display could be mitigated by a $19 (with Apple Care) replaceable layer, but that’s yet to be determined. Thankfully, some folks with review units have put the hinge and display to the test.

Let’s start with the good news. Journalist Joanna Stern used a custom electronic device to open and close the device tens of thousands of times and didn’t find much of a change from the first time she opened and closed the device.

“In everyday use, I really couldn’t feel a difference. So, after 32,000 folds, it felt pretty much the same as day one, which is pretty darn impressive,” she said in a vide published to YouTube.

Stern didn’t comment on how the display crease visibility held up after all those folds. However, fellow YouTube Tim Pan’s tests, showed the display crease after 11,500 folds, with 1000 of them coming at temperatures below freezing. The crease does look much more visible than it does on a brand new model, but it remains to be seen whether that ability to replace the covering will mitigate the effects.

The iPhone Duo goes on sale on Friday.