The Galaxy Z Flip 7 does shockingly well in infamous bend test — there's just one problem

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Foldable screens' inner displays likely won’t get better

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 partly opened in tent mode
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

While the Galaxy Z Flip 7 might not be as expensive as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it is still a pricey piece of hardware. As such, we'd want to know just how durable the phone is, and it appears we have an answer thanks to one of the most well-known breakdowns on the web.

Samsung Z Flip 7 Durability Test --- Revenge of the Fallen - YouTube Samsung Z Flip 7 Durability Test --- Revenge of the Fallen - YouTube
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In his most recent JerryRigEverything video, Zack Nelson tested the overall durability of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip, including whether it can break by being bent the wrong way.

Z Flip 7 inner display being scratched

(Image credit: JerryRigEverything)

However, the big question is about the durability of the inner screen, and, unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 didn’t score much better than the tests on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The inner screen begins to see scratches at level 2, meaning you could cause damage with a fingernail alone. This isn’t a new issue and has been present with the Fold models since their inception.

Thankfully, Samsung does offer one free replacement for the inner screen protector within the first 12 months, with any further replacements costing $20. According to Samsung, this process should not be attempted yourself, and doing so will likely void your warranty.

While a softer inner screen isn’t the best at a glance, Nelson points out that they’re unlikely to get any harder in later models, and bets that Apple’s foldable iPhone will likely have a soft inner display.

Did the phone break when bending in the wrong direction?

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 being bent in the wrong direction

(Image credit: JerryRigEverything)

One of the big fears around even the best foldable phones is that they’ll break when you bend them too far in the wrong direction.

In Nelson’s prior video, we saw that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn’t, and we’re happy to report that the same is true here. While there were some concerning clicks while he bent the phone, there was no noticeable damage to the screen or the phone's functionality.

In addition to not breaking when bent, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 also demonstrated decent resistance to dust. There were some new creaks and groans after the phone had been showered in dirt, but the functionality wasn’t impaired. Meanwhile, running a blade down the sides did lead to scratches — as we would expect — but the back panel was much more resistant.

Finally, the redesigned camera covers were resistant to being popped off with the blade, which is better than we saw on the Galaxy S25.

Overall, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 appears to be a very resistant phone, although we'd still recommend buying a case. If we add this to the wealth of other improvements like the larger display, longer battery life and access to Samsung DeX, then there’s no doubt this is one of the best foldables you can buy.

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Josh Render
Josh Render
Staff Writer

Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer. 

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