Yesterday, CNET published a video that tests the Motorola Razrâs durability. In the video the smartphoneâs hinge begins to give up just after 27,000 consecutively non-stop folds. Last night, Motorola responded to this with their own test video where a folding robot is seen conducting a similar test. 

© YouTube/CNET

In CNETâs test, the Razr was found to have a âvery stiffâ hinge after 27,000 folds and would not fold all the way. The issue was resolved by âflexingâ the hinge, but it never returned to the original state. In response to CNETâs test, Motorola told The Verge in a statement:

âSquareTradeâs FoldBot is simply not designed to test our device. Therefore, any tests run utilizing this machine will put undue stress on the hinge and not allow the phone to open and close as intended, making the test inaccurate. The important thing to remember is that razr underwent extensive cycle endurance testing during product development, and CNETâs test is not indicative of what consumers will experience when using razr in the real-world. We have every confidence in the durability of razr.â

In response to the test, Motorola published its own video titled âThe real razr flip test- flip for yearsâ where the folding test is noticeably slower and more accurate to human usage patterns. It isnât as aggressive as CNETâs test but the company claims that the Razr can âflip for years.â Motorola has still not specified how many folds the Razr can withstand which is a bit alarming as Samsung does not shy away from giving those numbers for their folding smartphones. 

© Youtube/Motorola

The Motorola Razr retails in the U.S. for $1,500 + taxes and the smartphone is yet to launch in India. The Indian pricing is not yet known, however it would be nice to know how many times one can fold the phone before shelling out over Rs 1 lakh for a smartphone. Motorola claims that the Razr can last up to two years with an average of 80 folds a day, but it still doesnât sound convincing enough. A smartphone that doesnât come with a guarantee of how long it can last, especially when it comes to the durability of a folding screen seems like quite a gamble right now.  

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