The allure of foldable phones is undeniable – a pocketable tablet, a multitasking powerhouse. But for many, one nagging question overshadows the innovation: "Will it break?" Enter Zack Nelson, better known as JerryRigEverything, the internet's undisputed king of gadget destruction testing. His latest victim? The freshly unveiled Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Spoiler alert: it gets brutal.
Samsung consistently touts improvements in durability with each Fold iteration. The Z Fold 7 boasts a new "Armor Aluminum" frame, claims of a stronger inner display protector, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the cover screen. But marketing claims are one thing. Zack's vise grips, razor blades, and sheer brute force are quite another.
First Impressions & The Scratch Test:
Zack starts, as always, with the scratch test. The outer cover screen, protected by Victus 2, behaves as expected, showing scratches at Mohs level 6 with deeper grooves at level 7. Standard flagship stuff. The real intrigue lies with the inner flexible display. Using his pick set, Zack confirms the inner screen protector scratches easily at level 2, typical for soft plastic polymers. More importantly, he assesses the new protector's feel. While Samsung promises improved resistance to micro-scratches, Zack notes it still feels distinctly like plastic under the razor blade, potentially a turn-off for users craving pure glass tactility. The hinge's exterior paint also starts chipping away under level 3 pressure – a cosmetic concern, but a reminder it's painted metal.
The Burn Test (Because Why Not?):
Holding a flame to the inner display for about 30 seconds, Zack observes the OLED panel quickly begins to discolor and sustain permanent damage. This isn't a surprise – OLEDs are inherently sensitive to heat – but it's a stark visual reminder of the material's vulnerability compared to rigid glass.
The Bend Test - Where Legends Are Made (or Broken):
This is the moment everyone waits for. Zack starts with the phone unfolded, applying pressure to the spine. The Fold 7 holds firm initially, showing no sign of catastrophic failure. This is significant progress over earlier foldables that buckled under similar pressure. The new hinge and frame design clearly add rigidity.
But the real torture comes in the folded position. Zack places the closed Fold 7 in his infamous bending jig and starts cranking. The phone groans, the hinge audibly stresses, but... it holds. He applies considerable force, visibly flexing the entire chassis. The tension is palpable. Unlike some predecessors that snapped catastrophically, the Z Fold 7 creaks and bends but doesn't break. Releasing the pressure, it pops back into shape, seemingly functional. This is arguably the most impressive result for a Fold yet in Zack's test. You really need to see the tension of this bend test to believe it – watch the critical moment here:
https://www.youtube.com/@JerryRigEverything
The Verdict: Tough, But Still a Foldable
So, did the Galaxy Z Fold 7 survive? Mostly. It emerged from Zack's gauntlet scuffed, scratched, slightly warped, and likely with some internal stress, but crucially, it didn't snap in half and the displays remained functional after the bend tests. This represents a tangible leap in structural integrity for Samsung's foldable line, especially concerning the critical hinge area.
However, JerryRigEverything's test serves as a vital reality check:
- The Inner Screen is Still Delicate: That plastic-feeling protector will scratch more easily than glass. It's the trade-off for flexibility.
- Cosmetics Suffer: The hinge paint scratches off, and the aluminum frame will show wear.
- It's Not Invincible: While it survived the controlled bend test, extreme forces in a pocket (like sitting on it awkwardly on a hard edge) or a significant drop could still spell disaster. The complex hinge mechanism remains a potential point of failure.
- Psychological Durability: Even if it physically survives a bend, the visible warping and audible stress noises experienced in Zack's test might make owners deeply uncomfortable about its long-term resilience.
The Takeaway:
Samsung's engineers deserve credit. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 demonstrably features the toughest build yet for a mainstream foldable, particularly excelling in the crucial bend resistance that plagued earlier models. It’s a significant step towards durability that inspires more confidence. Zack's test proves it can withstand forces far beyond normal daily use.
But... it remains a highly complex mechanical device with inherent vulnerabilities compared to a slab phone. JerryRigEverything's brutal assessment confirms that while the Z Fold 7 is tougher, the dream of a truly "durable" foldable, in the same way we think of traditional flagships, is still evolving. For potential buyers, it's about weighing the groundbreaking form factor against the understanding that it requires a bit more care – and maybe avoiding Zack's workshop.
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