- The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7's display has been tested to remain functional after 500,000 folds
- That's up from just 200,000 with the Galaxy Z Fold 6
- However, it's just half of what the OnePlus Open can manage
Samsung has made a big leap with the durability of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, as the company has announced that the display panel used by this phone will remain fully functional after being folded 500,000 times.
That’s up from just 200,000 times with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, so this particular aspect of the Z Fold 7 should be more than twice as durable as the previous model. In practice, 500,000 folds translates to over 10 years of use for the average user (which Samsung describes as someone who folds the device around 100 times a day), and more than six years of use for heavy users, i.e. those who fold it more like 200 times a day.
Even the latter of those figures is longer than most people hold onto their phones for, so this should make for a reassuring upgrade.
Samsung explains that this improvement was made possible by a “newly developed shock-resistant structure, inspired by the design principles of bulletproof glass”, and that it was put to the test by Bureau Veritas (a global testing, inspection, and certification company).
Better than most, but not all
So, that all sounds very promising, and should mean the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has most rival devices beat on this front too, as they tend to be rated for between 200,000 and 400,000 folds.
However, one rival it doesn’t have beat is the OnePlus Open, which remarkably has been certified by TÜV Rheinland to offer “reliable folding” for 1,000,000 folds.
With that in mind, it’s all the more disappointing that there won’t be a OnePlus Open 2 this year. But if you’re one of the many people who upgrade their phone at least every few years, then Samsung’s device should still offer more durability than you’ll need on this front.