Update: Apple's first foldable is back in the spotlight this Saturday, October 24, 2026, with a new chapter following the launch-day reports of cracked screens — a story Geekiki already covered in iPhone Duo: first owners report screen cracks near the hinge. This time, the device went through Zack Nelson's traditional JerryRigEverything durability test, and it did not pass.
What the test found
In the test, the 5.4-inch outer screen, protected by Ceramic Shield 2, only started scratching at level 7 on the Mohs scale — in line with conventional iPhones. The 7.6-inch folding inner screen, however, scratched at level 2, and even a fingernail left marks, according to MacRumors. Nelson praised Apple's matte nano-texture coating for hiding scratches while the screen is on, but noted they are permanent.
The decisive moment came in the dust test. Despite its IP68 dust and water resistance rating, particles entered the hinge through several points, and the magnets that hold the phone shut could not overcome the debris: the phone stayed partly open for the rest of the test. In the bend test, a permanent green line appeared on the inner display; a second bend added two more lines, and the display stopped responding to touch.
“I've been testing these folding phones since the first generation seven years ago — most do survive,” Nelson said, according to MacRumors. “The iPhone Duo did not.” He added that he could not tell whether the dust trapped in the hinge contributed to the failure or whether the hinge itself lacked rigidity, and warned against pressing on the device while it is open.
Why context matters
Context matters: JerryRigEverything's test is deliberately harsher than everyday use, and the result refers to a single unit — not a failure rate. The inner display replacement cost cited in the video is around $1,000, according to Dexerto. Apple has not publicly commented on the test results.
Sources: MacRumors, Dexerto, iPhone in Canada and MacRumors (launch reports).
Image credit: JerryRigEverything, via MacRumors.
Transparency: this article was produced with the help of artificial intelligence, cross-referencing public posts on X and internet sources, including the sources cited below. We recommend consulting the original sources for full details.
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