Drop tests with the new iPhone Duo suggest that carrying the device without a protective case would be a major mistake. While Apple’s first foldable isn’t as fragile as some critics predicted, it is undeniably breakable.
Earlier tests show the handset can easily stand up to heavy use, but drop the device even once and you could crack one of the screens.
iPhone Duo drop test: Ouch!
Foldable phones are generally more vulnerable to drop damage than standard ones because they include more delicate components and a more complicated design. The hinge creates a potential weak point, while the large, flexible inner display is more susceptible to damage from impacts than the rigid glass used on conventional phones.
Drop tests with the iPhone Duo done by the YouTube channel PhoneBuff bear this out. Apple’s newly launched handset was allowed to fall from various heights and angles under controlled conditions, and almost every option resulted in damage to a greater or lesser extent.
But to put these into perspective, PhoneBuff did a drop test comparison with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable didn’t do much worse… except in one area.
Drops onto the outer and inner screen
The tests started by dropping the iPhone Duo flat onto its back. That cracked the rear glass panel — for comparison, the same happened with the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
A drop directly onto the new handset’s corner scuffed up the titanium. The same is true whether the device’s hinge was open or closed. And the damage was less than the aluminum corner of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, though. Neither device was broken in any other way.
When the iPhone Duo was dropped 1 meter directly onto its external display, the screen cracked. The display in the iPhone 18 model survived this test.
Now for a surprise: when PhoneBuff dropped the Duo directly onto its inner screen, there was no visible damage. A raised lip that Apple builds in around the screen and its pre-applied screen protector may be the reasons.
Hinge drops prove problematic
The hinge is a potential point of failure in any foldable. Apple clearly worked hard on the one in the iPhone Duo, and a recent test showed that it came through 32,000 folds without any problem.
But even a single drop of 1.5 meters directly onto the hinge started to damage it. It was still functional, though. On the second drop, the inner display took damage, with a prominent streak appearing along the fold.
After the fourth drop, the entire left side of the inner display failed completely, and the touchscreen was nonfunctional on the right side.
iPhone Duo drop test shows that a good case is critical
PhoneBuff ended its video by saying, “This is a sample size of one, so it’s possible that we get a different result with a new Duo. But at the same time we’ve definitely put phones through some pretty extreme drops before without seeing exactly this type of failure, so I would definitely get some protection around this phone if you’re clumsy.”
Carrying any iPhone around without a protective case is a mistake. That appears to be even more true with an iPhone Duo.
Watch the full PhoneBuff video now:
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
