Tech durability guru Zack Nelson, better known as JerryRigEverything, has put Samsung's latest foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, through its brutal paces. The result? Samsung seems to be building one tough little clamshell.
Nelson's signature durability test is a gauntlet no phone wants to face: sharp scratches on the screen and body, searing heat from a lighter, and the dreaded bend test designed to find structural weak points. The Z Flip 7 emerged largely victorious, showcasing significant improvements in areas where foldables are often scrutinized.
The Screen: Starting with the crucial folding display, Nelson's Mohs hardness picks revealed the screen protector scratches at level 2, with deeper grooves at level 3 – standard for these polymer surfaces. The real win? The underlying UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass) itself proved remarkably scratch-resistant, only showing marks at level 6. This suggests better resilience against everyday debris finding its way into the hinge.
The Frame and Hinge: The aluminum frame showed scratches easily, as expected. The hinge, the heart of any foldable, passed the lighter test without deforming or melting the crucial internal components – a critical pass. But the moment everyone waits for is the bend test.
Defying Expectations (and Force): Applying his signature backward pressure, Nelson found the Z Flip 7 impressively rigid when folded. There was noticeable flex, but the phone stubbornly refused to catastrophically fail. The hinge mechanism held firm. Then came the twist: Nelson attempted a double bend, applying pressure from both the top and bottom simultaneously – a move that has killed lesser phones.
OUCH! You can see the intense moment right here in his video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0luxGapYgM
The phone bent alarmingly in the middle. But... it didn't break. Once the pressure was released, the Z Flip 7 snapped back into shape. While Nelson noted potential internal damage concerns from such an extreme flex, the fact the display remained functional and the hinge didn't physically snap is a testament to Samsung's engineering. "It didn't break!" Nelson exclaims in the video, clearly impressed by its resilience under such abnormal force.
What This Means: While no phone is truly indestructible, and Nelson's tests are far beyond normal use, the Galaxy Z Flip 7's performance is encouraging. It demonstrates a robust hinge design and a folding screen assembly that can withstand significant physical stress without immediate failure. For potential buyers worried about the inherent fragility of foldables, this test suggests the Z Flip 7 is built tougher than its sleek, compact form might imply. Samsung appears to be steadily reinforcing the durability of its flip-style foldables with each generation.
Ready to flip? Check out the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/4mqsFMq
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