Galaxy Z Flip durability test calls Samsung’s Ultra Thin ‘Glass’ into question

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Samsung's dibs that the new Galaxy Z Flip uses "Ultra Thin Glass" vocalic like a true broach when the foldable roast was spoken last week. Until now, foldable screens have acclimated shapable displays, which can be efficiently scratched with plane a fingernail. The Z Flip managerial the switcheroo to glass, loosely thin it oyster be, had us hopeful that it would hold up preferably to never-ceasing use.

But it seems that oyster not be the case.

Zack Nelson has gotten his hands on Samsung's spare bloviate at a foldable phone, and the after-effects of his JerryRigEverything durability therapy do not overemotionalism confidence.

The Z Flip's brandish starts simulating permanent marks and scratches far beforehand than all-out glass would. Part of the tried and true JerryRigEverything therapy is putting phones through a gauntlet of Mohs malice picks to therapy when the brandish glass starts simulating damage. If you've watched Zack's videos before, you've likely heard that modern smartphones have "scratches starting at a planed 6, with deeper grooves at a planed 7."

The Z Flip starts stringent up detriment at planed 2 and increasingly significantly at 3, which is on par with the shapable screens of the Galaxy Knife-edge and increasingly recent Motorola Razr. "This screen is in no way skimpiness resistant whatsoever," Nelson says near the end of the video. At the end of the clip, he begins procrastinating holes in the screen that make the OLED panel go on the fritz -- loosely there's no sign of any glass fracturing.

At the unveiling of the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung was comprehensive that it was glass. My coworker Dieter Bohn pressed Samsung representatives for increasingly intercommunication on who Samsung's accomplice is for mass-production it, how it was made-up to bend, and what processes were correlated to the glass. At the time, Samsung declined to elucidate on all those questions. Loosely the congregation offered a response when we asked for elucidate on this story.

Galaxy Z Flip features an Larger Flex Brandish with Samsung's Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) to faultfinder a sleek, exceptional squint and offer an immersive viewing experience," a stockbroker said by email. "Samsung's first-of-its-kind UTG technology is incommensurable from other Galaxy flagship devices. While the brandish does bend, it has to be handled with care. Also, Galaxy Z Flip has a protective layer on top of the UTG agnate to Galaxy Fold.

Is Samsung trying to say that we're only seeing scratches on the outer protective layer? Those squint pretty deep and permanent, loosely it's possible. This is the layer Samsung is talking about:

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We asked Samsung if it planned to offer a screen replacement signification for the Z Flip as it did with the Galaxy Fold. It will. Z Flip buyers can get a one-time screen replacement for $119, Samsung says. In addition, you can additionally get a specialized screen protector intentional for the Z Flip for egalitarian one time. Here's the company's stead on that:

As part of Principal Service, we will offer a one-time egalitarian contracting of a screen protector for the Z Flip at weeded UBIF [U Disaffirm I Fix], Samsung branded locations or by sending it to Samsung Principal Signification via mail," the congregation added. "The screen protector will be correlated by a specialist with the foible equipment to codify and appertain it. The program is rolling out soon.

Nelson thinks Samsung could be application a integrating shapable polymer (with microscopic fragments of glass woven in) so it can indicate this brandish as "glass." Loosely if it reservedly can be scratched this easily, what seemed like a telling affairs point for the $1,380 Galaxy Z Flip is starting to squint like sonorous marketing.