Tech

Motorola issues official response over Razr screen peeling. Says don't worry.

The company says it has "full confidence" in the foldable's display and doesn't believe temperature change can damage the screen.

Two days after we reported our Razr's plastic OLED display started breaking and peeling at the fold, Motorola has issued an official response to Input. The company says it has "full confidence" about the durability of the Razr's display and details how the phone was tested under "extreme temperature testing."

We have full confidence in razr’s display, and do not expect consumers to experience display peeling as a result of normal use. As part of its development process, razr underwent extreme temperature testing. As with any mobile phone, Motorola recommends not storing (e.g., in a car) your phone in temperatures below -4 degrees Fahrenheit and above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If consumers experience device failure related to weather during normal use, and not as a result of abuse or misuse, it will be covered under our standard warranty. For more warranty information, please visit: www.motorola.com/device-legal.

We speculated that our retail Razr unit, which we bought from a Verizon store, might have become damaged due to usage in environments with differing temperatures (very cold outdoor photography versus warmer indoor settings). This was our best guess at what caused the screen lamination to separate from the display at the hinge edges since the phone wasn't impacted in any way.

While the problem doesn't seem to be widespread at this point — possibly due to a very small quantity of devices being in market — some users, like Mashable tech Reporter Brenda Stolyar, have voiced concerns about the durability of their devices:

In related news, one Samsung Galaxy Z Flip user said he thinks his foldable phone also broke due to the cold. He said he heard it "crack" after opening it in cold temperatures. Samsung reportedly replaced it immediately. We have yet to learn what caused the Z Flip to break at the hinge.

As it stands, it's simply too early to fully understand how well foldable displays (plastic or glass) survive in real-world conditions. We're not doubting companies stress test foldable phones within a lab, but with so many variables to account in real usage, there's no telling how durable they really are in consumer hands.