Samsung Claims 200,000 Folds for the Galaxy Fold: It Broke After 120,000

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How many folds does it take?

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The results are in: the Galaxy Fold's folding stamina isn't as impressive as Samsung touted. It said its newest smartphone survived 200,000 folds (or about 5 years worth of use), but when CNET conducted a similar test, the Fold's hinge stopped working after just 120,000 folds.

Streamed live on YouTube, CNET's folding test used a machine created by SquareTrade that folds and unfolds the Galaxy Fold nonstop. CNET had prepared for the phone to last as long as Samsung promoted, but 119,380 folds resulted in hinge and screen damage. 

In Samsung's defense, the folding machine CNET used is different than the one the phone maker showed in its stamina video. CNET's stress test pace was also much faster than Samsung's. If you're the owner of a $1980 Galaxy Fold, chances are you won't yank it open and slap it shut as though you've just downed a Red Bull. 

Durability concerns have stolen the spotlight from the Galaxy Fold, released late last after months of delays and redesigns. Despite Samsung detailing precautions users should take with its first (and fixed) foldable smartphone, we've seen several variations of stress tests pop up online. 

Unintentional damage has proven problematic, too. A reviewer from TechCrunch said his new Galaxy Fold's display got damaged after one day. We haven't had any issues of the like with our model. Samsung says that you should use a light touch when pressing the Fold's 7.3-inch main display.

Only time will tell how well the Fold will hold up in the real world. And there are lots of incoming foldable phones on the way along with dual-screen phones like Microsoft's Surface Duo that will undergo plenty of scrutiny.

Kate Kozuch
Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She writes about smartwatches, TVs, audio devices, and some cooking appliances, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following if you don't already. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.