
If you've looked into purchasing a foldable phone, one thing you might have questions about is durability. Historic cases of devices failing have tarnished the reputation of the wider industry, leading many to approach with caution.
But one device is showing that it is absolutely built to withstand the elements. The recently released Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has certainly proved it has the build quality to withstand the rigors of day-to-day life, in a livestreamed test on YouTube.
Hosted by the MrKeyBrd channel, the test set out to see just how durable the hinges on the Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra really are, by having them opened and closed by hand. Sadly, the Motorola ran into some issues fairly early on and died altogether at just over 126k flips.
Remarkably, the Z Flip 5 is still going as I write this. It's currently been flipped open and closed just over 287k times over the past five days.
And that's just the start of it.
See, when the Samsung started to look invincible, the team started to put it under a little more strain. It was shaken in a bag with some dirt, in a bid to test the dust resistance. At 200k, it was flipped underwater for 30 minutes, to test the water resistance. They even tested over a heat source at 275k.
And it's still going strong. In fact, there's only a minor hinge issue which occurred around 223k flips marring the devices' performance at all.
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That should provide potential users with a healthy does of confidence. Forget what you might hear anecdotally – this test has been undertaken live to get first hand experience. After being put through some relatively challenging paces, the handset is still alive and kicking, showing no real signs of slowing down.
If it can stand up to a test like this, it's almost certainly able to withstand years of regular use. After all, while it's rated for dust and water resistance, it's unlikely that anyone is going to be actively using it in those environments for long periods of time.
Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.
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