Man Destroys $2,000 iPhone Duo With Dirt, Fire, Knives and Medieval Chainmail

It might seem obvious, but try not to sit on your iPhone Duo when you leave it open.

That lesson comes a day after Apple’s foldable iPhone hit stores with lines of people queued up to buy the new device. Tech reviewer Zach Nelson dropped an iPhone Duo video on his YouTube channel, JerryRigEverything, testing the scratch resistance and bendability of the new $2,000 phone. 

Let’s just say that Nelson’s measured, soothing voice didn’t keep me calm as he meticulously destroyed the Duo.

He subjected it to numerous scratch tests on both its cover and inner screens. Nelson praised Apple for the cover screen’s Ceramic Shield 2 glass and noted that the inner screen, even with its nano-texture finish, scratches as easily as the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s non-matte folding display.

But why stop there?

Nelson used medieval chainmail (no proof it was actually from the Middle Ages), dirt, dust and pebbles to test the Duo further. Surprisingly, the new phone handled the chainmail easily. Nelson partly credits that to the Duo’s matte finish on the inner screen, which seems to hide imperfections.

He then opened the Duo’s inner screen and tried to bend it backward a few times. As you might expect, the frame flexed, which led to cracks showing up on the main 7.6-inch screen. So if you set your Duo down with its main screen open on a chair or couch, just don’t sit on it.

In her review, CNET senior technology reporter Abrar Al-Heeti recommends protecting the Duo, saying, “You should probably still get a case and AppleCare, or be prepared to pay a pretty penny for repairs.”

You can watch Nelson’s video to see the entire nearly 15-minute video. Warning: the dust and dirt portion against the Duo’s hinge is psychologically difficult to witness (because of all the dust and dirt). Also, if you’re wondering more about the iPhone Duo’s durability, CNET has designed and constructed a custom machine called the Fold-a-Phone that is currently hard at work testing how many times Apple’s foldable can be open and closed.

Patrick Holland

Director of Content

As Director of Content, Hardware, I lead CNET's team of journalists and editors, covering news and testing on smartphones, laptops, wireless carriers, AI, and pretty much anything with a battery. See full bio