News
- Samsung's Flip 7 went through an extreme durability test
- Its outer screen is hardy, but the inner screen is easily scratched and burnt
- It couldn't be snapped in half by hand, however
Our phone testing is very rigorous, but we focus on what a regular person would get out of the gadget and if it’s better or worse than the competition at the same price; we don’t routinely set fire to phone screens, bathe gadgets in dirt, or attempt to scratch every surface with a knife – but that’s what one tester has done to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7.
In an extreme durability test, which you’ll find several of on his YouTube channel, JerryRigEverything seriously put Samsung’s new foldable through its paces – a follow-up to a similar video involving the Galaxy Z Fold 7 about a week earlier.
In the just under 9-minute video, Samsung’s phone is tortured, but we do learn some useful details.
The outer screen is pretty hardy, standing up to significantly harder materials than the inner screen – which a particularly forceful fingernail scratch is able to create grooves in – and also withstanding direct heat from a lighter’s flame. The inner screen is left with a couple of permanent green damage marks after about 15 seconds of fire exposure.
It then gets drenched in dirt, including getting a healthy heaping dropped straight into its hinge. Opening and closing the phone with dirt covered did allow some soil to enter the mechanism – you can hear it crunch when opening and closing after the fact – but at least during the video, no other permanent harm is noticeable.
Lastly, JerryRigEverything does his best to snap the phone in half with his hands, but it survives his attempts.
You should absolutely go watch the full video – especially if, like me, you’re too cautious with your tech to let the intrusive thoughts win – because it highlights the extreme lengths you have to go to actually tear these foldables apart.
Tougher than you thinkFoldables are hardier than we give them credit for (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)I’ve used a foldable as my daily driver for about a year. I started with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and recently upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Because I get those phones through my job, I’m admittedly a bit more laissez-faire with how I treat them (meaning I’ll buy a cheap screen protector, but not a case), but both phones have been holding up very, very well.
The Z Fold 6 has a few bruises at the edges, but nothing serious, and my Z Fold 7 is close to immaculate. Neither has any issues with their hinges, and while you can see their creases, it’s not super noticeable on either phone when you’re using one.
This brings me to a point I made on our Samsung special podcast. While that IP48 dust and waterproof rating means the foldables can let fine dirt in (anything smaller than 1mm), and their inner screen isn’t as durable as a regular phone display, most normal people probably won’t have any serious issues.
I’ve been to a sandy beach two times in the past year, and visited one desert, without my foldable being affected. I was careful, sure, but no more so than I am with a non-foldable.
If you regularly work at the beach or in, say, a dusty woodwork shop, or in a super-harsh environment, a foldable might not be ideal. But for most folks, these extreme and my year-long tests prove they’re surprisingly durable if you’re kind to them. If durability was the reason you’ve been put off buying one, it might not be as big an issue as you imagine.
You might also like- Areas of Russia are experiencing mobile internet blackouts
- These are said to be necessary to combat Ukrainian drone attacks
- Many believe the blackouts may be a crack down on digital rights
Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, technology has been a crucial point of leverage for both sides, with technological infrastructure like telecoms and mobile internet services targeted in disruptive offensives aimed at weakening the other side - even leading to Russia shutting down its own internet services in the name of national security.
A new report by non-profit Russian Internet Protection Society has outlined a record breaking 2,000 mobile internet service shutdowns in July, pointing to a dramatic increase in digital restrictions - and rights groups say that many of the blackouts don’t appear to be related to any threat.
Russian authorities have blocked the advertising of VPNs and Cloudflare subnets in a large-scale crackdown on digital rights. Platforms like Twitch, TikTok, YouTube, and even Duolingo are all inaccessible without a VPN.
Drone attacks blamedThese blackouts have a serious impact on life in parts of Russia and cut off access to things like maps, banking applications, buying fuel, or even communicating with loved ones - with talks of blocking WhatsApp suggesting the state pushing citizens onto highly monitored, government controlled messaging services.
Russia has cited a need to prevent and defend against Ukrainian drone attacks, but not everyone is convinced by this explanation. The economic losses from these disruptions are estimated by watchdogs to be around 26 billion rubles ($290 million) in July alone - and rural areas are left isolated.
Dmitry Gudkov, a former MP and co-founder of the Center for Analysis and Strategy in Europe told Le Monde that authorities are ‘gradually restricting freedoms’ through these outages;
"They are acclimating society to life without the internet. The day they need to cut the mobile network, for instance to stifle protests, they'll know they can do it."
You might also like- Take a look at our picks for the best firewall software around
- Check out our choice for best endpoint protection software to keep you safe
- Russia blocks almost 200 VPN services, but the Kremlin still wants to use them