Sources: Google will soon require foldable phones to meet hardware quality standards

Foldable phones are continuing to become more and more popular, and with each new generation, they're getting more and more accessible. Flip style foldables like the Motorola Razr+ and Galaxy Z Flip 5 are sold for just under $1,000, while book style foldables are starting to creep towards that territory (the Tecno Phantom V Fold sells for around $1,100).

As foldable devices become more mainstream, it's important that none of them catastrophically fail in the hands of their users, tarnishing the reputation of this new smartphone category in the process. To ensure a high level of quality among foldable devices, Google is preparing to launch a foldable quality review process for OEMs.

According to my sources, Google sent out an advisory to OEMs back in late March that notified them of upcoming hardware quality standards for foldables devices. These standards, which have previously not been reported on, will have to be met by any OEM that wants to ship a new foldable device with Google apps after September 1, 2023.

Google says that devices with foldable displays will have to:

* Survive 200,000 fold/unfold cycles without exhibiting any display/touchscreen issues. (If the device has a torque hinge, then its friction torque has to be >= 80% of the original torque from the factory after 200,000 fold/unfold cycles. The friction torque measurements have to be done at four or more angles.)

* In addition, Google says that OEMs launching foldable devices will have to commit to providing at least 2 OS upgrades and 3 years of security updates after launch.

Google will enforce these standards through a questionnaire that OEMs have to fill out. OEMs will have to send Google a couple of devices for review, who will then review the devices to see if there are any critical issues.

Setting the minimum at 200,000 fold/unfold cycles makes a lot of sense, as it's a threshold that most foldable devices already meet (or at least claim to meet). Everyone uses their devices differently, but if you were to fold and unfold your device 100 times a day, it should last for about 5 years when rated at 200,000 fold cycles. 5 years is also the length of time that most premium tier devices receive extended security updates for anyway.

Google has not publicly announced the details of their foldable quality review process yet, but two different sources familiar with the matter shared the news with me back in late March. The full details will apparently be shared in the September 2023 update of GMS Requirements. I've reached out to Google for comment on this news, and if I learn anything else about this review process, I will let you all know.