Motorola’s Razr folding phone is having a hard time, uh, folding

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Okay, so with all the fuss around foldable devices lately, one burning question has been on the front of everyone’s minds. Just how durable is that hinge anyway? CNET just put the latest foldable through a stress test, and the success of the Motorola Razr might just hinge on the results.

See, apparently, the hinge isn’t very sturdy at all, acting up after only 27,000 folds.

CNET stress-tested the Motorola Razr’s hinge and the results aren’t pretty

Never one to miss an opportunity to test a device to destruction, CNET borrowed the Foldbot from SquareTrade to put the Motorola Razr through the wringer.

Originally created for the Galaxy Fold, the Foldbot was modified by SquareTrade to work with the Razr. Well, kind of work, as the robotic tool could only close the Razr part-way each time, probably showing that the Razr’s hinge mechanism is different from the Fold’s.

READ MORE: The Motorola RAZR foldable is coming back, again

Anyway, after nearly four hours of folding, the hinge on the Razr started to give up. The screen was still working though, so we should give Motorola some credit there.

• The hinge on the Motorola Razr started to give out at 27,000 folds
• Last year, the Samsung Galaxy Fold lasted almost 120,000 folds before it died

If all of the new Razr handsets behave the same, that means the average American would start having issues with the hinge at about one year of ownership. Realistically, it’ll be sooner than that, as tests like this aren’t able to simulate the usual dirt, fluff and other detritus that our pockets contain.

What do you think? Are you interested in the Razr? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.