Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold receives durability test, and the results aren't good

News
By published

More folding points = more breaking points

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold partly unfolded
(Image credit: Tom's Guide / Sanuj Bhatia)

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is set to debut in early 2026, with its giant foldable display taking center stage. As is the case whenever an exciting piece of new technology hits the market, the internet has tested its durability.

YouTuber JerryRigEverything posted a video putting the Galaxy Z TriFold through its durability paces. As expected, it didn't do very well. The extra folding points and the softer display material made the phone more prone to breaking than previous foldables and far easier to damage than traditional phones.

The durability test results

Samsung TriFold Durability Test: We found the limit. - YouTube Samsung TriFold Durability Test: We found the limit. - YouTube
Watch On

The phone is vigorously tested for scratch, fire, dirt and bend resistance. Most of the results weren't particularly surprising: The softer screen led to easy scratches, and bending didn't go well.

But the dirt test went a bit worse than you might expect, with pocket sand creeping into the phone. During the YouTuber's test, you can hear the hinges crunch and grind as the phone is opened and closed. Obviously, this isn't good for the device, as sand and dirt getting into the moving parts (of which there are plenty) could cause issues.

The bend test went even worse. The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold device simply gives up after a quick bend in the wrong direction. Once the force is increased, the pixels tear and go dark, leaving JerryRigEverything with an all-but-useless phone.

For all intents and purposes, the phone would be considered out of commission after this bend test. Sure, it would still power on, but fixing the screen would be so expensive that it probably wouldn't be worth doing.

Now, while the results aren't great, they're not entirely unsurprising. For one, this is Samsung's first tri-fold phone. The company hasn't had multiple generations to work out the kinks as it did with the traditional folding Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Other durability tests have focused on how the phone handles traditional inward bends, showing that the Galaxy Z TriFold can withstand more than 150,000 full folds without showing any negative effects. Samsung says it can withstand up to 200,000 folds without breaking, which is in line with the YouTube tests we've seen so far.

Google News

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Dave LeClair
Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.