If you're thinking of buying a Motorola Razr, there are some questions you should ask yourself first, because if you're not "super careful" about the answer, you could be in big trouble Because if the answer isn't "ultra-cautious," you could be in big trouble

YouTuber JerryRigsEverything got a Razr and believes its format is very compact compared to the usual candy bar flagships, but his analysis of its durability is rather damning

We knew this would happen; the Razr's screen is as fragile as any other foldable phone we've seen In his test, it did not pass the second of ten levels of the scratch test At level 3, his picks felt like they were cutting through the outer plastic layer It didn't, but it left a really extreme scar

This is one of the pitfalls of cell phone folding screen technology Because it is a thin plastic, it is easily scratched On the other hand, while the phone is in the pocket, it remains closed, so it can be protected from car keys, coins, or anything else that could scratch it However, great care must be taken when opening the cell phone If you are not careful and press too hard, even your fingernail can scratch the surface

Nevertheless, there are many cell phones in the world that are easily scratched The iPhone 11, released last year, was criticized by users who saw scratches on the screen, even though it did not come in contact with a metal surface Also, candy bar phones are always exposed unless a screen protector or case covering the screen is used; in Razr's case, the phone itself is the screen protector

Another shocking test involves him getting a handful of dirt and throwing it into his phone Of course, no one would do this, but it is a good way to demonstrate how easily particles can get inside the hinge mechanism

According to The Destroyer of Phones, the hinge itself seems to be really solid, but Motorola hasn't learned anything from Samsung's Galaxy Fold debacle; the Razr's hinge is not sealed and things can still get inside As this test shows, the hinges quickly deteriorate if particles get inside, making a sound "like nails on a chalkboard"

Screens are also affected This is because large particles of sand can put pressure on any part of the OLED panel, pushing it upward and deforming it; according to JerryRigsEverything, the end result goes from aesthetic problems to pixel damage, and then to complete display failure There is no reason to doubt his judgment Watch the 40-second mark of the BBC video above to see how easy it is to get a fingernail under the display

This is much more worrisome than the forced hinge test or Cnet's hinge durability test using a machine that, as Motorola pointed out, is not designed to simulate the natural opening and closing of the Razr regardless of the number of times the Razr is opened and closed, a mechanism exposed to particles would undoubtedly introduce particles sooner or later, unless it is used only in a clean laboratory

YouTubers say otherwise the phone is rugged It is made entirely of metal and glass, except for the back, which is made of a textured polymer But obviously, Motorola could have waited to perfect the screen and hinge The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z flip may at least improve the screen's scratch resistance, thanks to a new ultra-thin glass material

These are not the only bad news There are other reports of cell phones apparently being more fragile There are Razrs in stores with display problems, but it is not known what damage these units have sustained Perhaps in the coming weeks we will have better information as users begin to use Razrs without the desire to intentionally break them