What you need to know
- JerryRigEverything tested the Galaxy Z TriFold’s durability, and the phone failed the bend test catastrophically.
- Samsung’s ultra-thin 3.9mm frame leaves little structural support, causing the device to snap when bent.
- The inner flexible display scratches easily at Mohs level 2, making it vulnerable to nails, keys, and coins.
- Despite durability concerns, Samsung claims the hinge can withstand 200,000 folds with careful use.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold is arguably the coolest smartphone on the market right now. The company’s foldable smartphone that turns into a 10-inch tablet is turning heads. However, like all foldable phones, durability has always been a major concern.
With a device that folds not once but twice, the concern only grows louder. YouTuber JerryRigEverything has now put the Galaxy Z TriFold through his infamous durability test, and unfortunately for Samsung, the results were far from good.
In the video, Zack begins by demonstrating the phone’s built-in sensors that detect incorrect folding. Just like we experienced in our hands-on time with the device, the Galaxy Z TriFold vibrates and displays a warning message if you attempt to fold it the wrong way.
The test then kicks off with the scratch test. The outer display scratches at level 6 on the Mohs scale, the same result as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with deeper grooves appearing at level 7. The inner flexible panel, however, is a completely different story. Because it uses a plastic-based folding screen, it scratches at level 2 and Zack notes the inner foldable screen can be easily and permanently damaged by fingernails, keys, or coins.
Galaxy Z TriFold struggles when pushed to its limits
Unfolded, the Galaxy Z TriFold is just 3.9mm thick at its thinnest point. But that incredibly thin frame leaves almost no room for structural reinforcement, and this becomes very clear during the bend test.
When pressure is applied in the opposite direction, the Galaxy Z TriFold snaps almost immediately. The frame buckles, the hinges shift out of alignment, and the device is permanently destroyed on camera. This officially makes it the first Samsung foldable to fail JerryRigEverything’s structural bend test.
Zack then proceeds with a teardown of the device. Inside the phone are three individual batteries spread across its three folding segments, combining to a total capacity of 5,600 mAh. The teardown also reveals no thermal paste or specialized cooling hardware, suggesting Samsung is relying entirely on the thin aluminum frame for heat dissipation.
While the results are disappointing, they’re not entirely unexpected for a trifolding phone. With so many components packed into an incredibly slim chassis, there’s little room left to reinforce structural rigidity.
That said, Samsung does claim that the hinge mechanism is tested to withstand up to 200,000 folds, which roughly totals to about five years if unfolded 100 times daily, so as long as you’re careful with how you use and fold the device, you should be perfectly fine.
