Apple’s foldable might look flawless on day one.
But give it months of opening, closing, pocketing, carrying and everyday abuse — and the liquid-metal hinge could tell us far more about the company’s first foldable than any launch-day spec sheet, or carefully-coordinated introduction.
A hinge can look almost invisible when new. The question is what happens after thousands of folds.
Does it stay smooth? — Does the gap remain tight? — Does dust start to make its way in?
And, perhaps most importantly, does it still feel like an iPhone after months of being folded and unfolded?
That’s the part I’ll be watching.
Because Apple can make an incredibly thin, beautiful foldable. But if the hinge doesn’t stand up to heavy everyday use, none of that really matters.
The first iPhone to physically fold out and away again will no-doubt be impressive.
But the one that survives multiple years of use will be the real achievement.