Phones that fold into three segments are always risky and prone to damage. Huawei Mate XT Ultimate is old news. Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold is the king of the hill now. This newcomer has a folding display that curves twice with a dual hinge on its back. It’s a unique build, but is it durable enough to stand the test of time? A YouTuber answered that question today.
YouTube channel Omokgyo Electronics Shopping Mall got its hands on a Galaxy Z TriFold and put that device through the wringer with a multi-day Fold test. The whole thing was live-streamed with thousands of viewers. Nothing too scientific about it; just three guys taking turns folding and unfolding the device around the clock.
This test gave us a solid base on how long the hinges will maintain their integrity. By the way, Samsung rates the dual-hinge latest Samsung fold to survive at least 200,000 folds. They didn’t say if the hinges completely fail after that, or just lose their rigidity. We’ll use their official rating as a base for the YouTuber’s live test.
Everything goes smoothly until about 61,000 folds. One of the hinges started making a faint creaking sound after that. The second, more durable hinge didn’t make a sound until 121,000 folds. The creeking wasn’t even the worst part of the test.
By the time the Z TriFold hit 144,000 cycles, the hinges had lost their integrity, and the device failed to stay completely flat. That’s usually what happens when the metal hinges lose their rigidity on the folding devices. But there is some good news as well.
The hinges may have failed earlier than the claimed rating, but the dual Fold display remained intact throughout the test. We know that 144,000 cycles is a concerning figure, but these results are actually categorized as the worst-case scenario.
The users in the real world won’t fold and unfold the device continuously, as these YouTubers did in the test. The real number might actually be close to Samsung’s claimed 200,000 folds for a regular user. The Galaxy Z TriFold is more durable than you think. It will probably be years before it shows any signs of wear and tear.
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