Someone folded the Galaxy Z Fold 7 200,000 times. How did it do?
Livestreamed on the Tech-it channel, the stunt was framed as an extreme real-world durability test and also as a public challenge to Samsung's claims about the toughness of the phone's hinge and folding display.
In order to avoid keeling over mid-stream — and possibly to reduce the chance of suffering a hairline wrist fracture — the YouTuber took regular breaks for sleep and meals, and was also careful to perform occasional stretches during the marathon folding sessions.
So, how did the phone do after 200,000 folds in an absurdly short amount of time? Well, as the task progressed, Tech-it carefully observed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and recorded anything of note.
Worryingly, a reboot error — one of many — first occurred after only 6,000 folds, and then at around every 10,000 folds.
After about 46,000 folds, creaking noises could be heard coming from the hinge of Samsung's flagship foldable handset.
In a weird turn of events, after around 75,000 folds, 'an unknown black liquid came out of the hinge,' though it didn't appear again after that.
At 175,000 folds, all of the phone's speakers packed up.
The only upside appeared to be that the hinge mechanism became smoother over time, but that's really not much of a bonus if the rest of the phone is packing up.
In response to people asking why they didn't just build a machine to open and close Samsung's phone, Tech-it said it wanted to perform the folds under an 'actual usage environment,' in other words, using human hands.
Of course, no one is going to fold such a phone 200,000 times in a matter of a few days … well, no one except this YouTuber, that is. So in the real world, how long would it take to complete this many folds? Well, if you opened such a phone around 50 times a day, it'd take about 4,000 days to reach 200,000 folds, or about 11 years. But if your Fold 7 starts rebooting after just 6,000 folds, that's just 120 days.
When it launched the Galaxy Z Fold 7 last month, Samsung claimed that its latest foldable OLED panel 'remained fully functional after a 500,000-fold durability test,' though Tech-it's test pointed to faults occurring in areas other than the display.
Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say, so we'll wait to see if any of the phone's users report their own issues in the coming months.
In the meantime, find out what happened to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in a durability test that took just a few minutes to complete, rather than days …
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CNET
3 hours ago
- CNET
I Tested the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE and Had Mixed Feelings (Until I Saw the Sale Price)
CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 7.5 / 10 SCORE Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE $700 at Amazon $700 at Walmart Pros The same software experience as the Z Flip 7 Smaller cover screen is still functional Cameras the same as the Flip 6 and Flip 7 Cons Fingerprint and dust magnet May run warm Battery life gets through a day, but not much more Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE 7.5/10 CNET Score $700 at Amazon I've spent a few weeks testing Samsung's $900 Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and while I'd love to say it's just a slightly less powerful version of last year's Z Flip 6 and a less-expensive alternative to the $1,100 Galaxy Z Flip 7, there are moments when the phone feels a little too cheap for its price. That's not to say the Flip 7 FE is bad, because the phone does use the same body as last year's Flip 6. This means it has the same 3.4-inch cover screen that is easy for me to tap out quick texts or glance at map directions, along with the same cameras that are powerful enough to use in dark and bright settings. Its ability to fold in half makes it easy to use the phone as a tripod for my photos, or to prop up on my desk to play YouTube videos. It's even able to use the same phone cases as the Galaxy Z Flip 6. But you'll likely find that a case is necessary in order to truly enjoy using the Z Flip 7 FE. That's partly because of the phone's oleophobic coating is a fingerprint magnet -- at least on the black review sample I tested. Its hinge easily accumulates skin oil and pocket lint on the outside which is something I find to be more common on phones that cost $300, not $900. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in its flex position. Joe Maldonado/CNET I also found the phone to run a little warm. My initial review unit ran warm enough during a 40-minute video call with light web browsing that the phone displayed a message that I could no longer do both at the same time, as the phone was now too hot. Samsung provided me a second review unit which did not get as warm under similar use. But if you're someone who gets particularly sensitive to noticing when your phone gets warm, having a case should help. But putting those design-related issues aside, the Flip 7 FE makes a lot of smart choices to be Samsung's first flip phone priced under $1,000. The FE uses Samsung's Exynos 2400 processor, which is capable of handling apps and Galaxy AI features, but is slower than the Qualcomm chip in the Flip 6. Even though the $700 Motorola Razr is cheaper and has several fun design choices, I can see how Samsung might justify its $900 price, thanks to the Flip 7 FE's superior software experience and photography. And recent sales are closing that price gap: at the time of this writing, the Flip 7 FE costs $700 for its 128GB model and $760 for 256GB. Both models are normally $200 more, and the Flip 7 FE offered for $700 then becomes a much easier recommendation over the Razr when you consider all of the software support Samsung offers. The Flip 7 FE also get's Samsung's Now Brief for highlighting your schedule and other essential information like the weather all in one place. Joe Maldonado/CNET My experience with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE While I'm not crazy about the Z Flip 7 FE's need to be in a case to guard against fingerprints, I have to admit that the phone remains quite fun to use. The Flip 7 FE's cameras (a 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel selfie camera) and the ability to use the phone as its own tripod are certainly the main reasons to consider this phone. I brought the Flip 7 FE to Utopia Bagels, and despite not having a telephoto lens, my 1x and 2x shots taken on the wide-angle camera of a sausage, egg and cheese bagel with red onion and tomatoes are filled with detail. A sausage, egg and cheese bagel taken at 1x zoom on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. Mike Sorrentino/CNET On the 2x shot in particular, you get the cheese drip, the dimples of the bread inside the bagel and noticeable color separation between the sausage patty and the red onion slices. Taken on the Z Flip 7 FE's wide angle lens at 2x zoom. Mike Sorrentino/CNET And like with other flip-style Android phones, it's easy to make use of the main camera for selfies by having the phone prop itself up like a stand, and then making a hand gesture that activates a camera timer. This works with both the rear camera and the front-facing camera inside the screen. In both of my photos, the focus is on my face, and, as expected, there are slightly fewer details available in the food for the photo taken with the interior screen's 10-megapixel camera. Enlarge Image Self-taken photo with the 50-megapixel wide angle camera on the Z Flip 7 FE. Mike Sorrentino/CNET Enlarge Image Self-taken photo with the 10-megapixel front-facing camera that's positioned on the interior display. Mike Sorrentino/CNET The Flip 7 FE can also capture video at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, matching the Flip 7. Oddly, you're limited to shooting at 1,080p from the main camera when the phone is folded into a stand. Similar to the Motorola Razr, you can also fold the phone into a "camcorder" mode to use the top half of the internal screen like a viewfinder. Recycling the Flip 6's design means that apps that were optimized for that device readily work here. I use the Transit app for subway directions, and it's easy for me to navigate the 3.4-inch display and type in my destination, as well as scroll through those directions. A smaller edition of Samsung's Now Bar -- a shortcut of active apps that's similar to the iPhone's Dynamic Island -- gives me fast access to my music and podcasts while I look at those directions, and I especially enjoy treating the cover screen like a mini-music player a la the MP3 players of the 2000s. But if you do use cameras extensively, be prepared to recharge the phone more often than you'd expect. The 4,000-mAh battery is the same as what's on the Flip 6, and in my use, it just barely got through a day of use (albeit the weekend when I use my phone the most). My battery life fared better on office days, where heavier use was limited to morning and evening, but I typically ended with 10% to 30%, making an overnight charge necessary. 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The Flip 7 FE's operating system -- running the brand new Android 16 and debuting Samsung's One UI 8 overlay -- looks great, and Samsung plans to update the phone with software and security updates for seven years. This is a far cry from the three-year update cycle (and four-year security upgrades) of the Razr. The Razr doesn't yet have Android 16, but will eventually get the update. In benchmark testing for the CPU (Geekbench 6), the Flip 7 FE performed better than the Razr (2025) but worse than the Flip 6 and Flip 7. And in a benchmark test for graphics (3DMark), it did better than the Razr (2025), and almost identical to the Flip 7. 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In some cases, despite having a smaller screen, the Z Flip 7 FE would show more information. For instance, with Mozilla Firefox loaded on each, the Z Flip 7 FE chooses to zoom out a little bit on this comparison of CNET's homepage. The CNET homepage loaded on both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE (left) and the Motorola Razr, both running in the Mozilla Firefox browser. Mike Sorrentino/CNET The Motorola Razr lets you run any Android app on the cover screen by default, but doing so on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE requires downloading Samsung's Good Lock app. To use apps on the cover screen, you need to first install Samsung's Good Lock. Joe Maldonado/CNET/PCMag Both phones have access to their respective Galaxy AI and Moto AI feature suites for generative AI and adopt different tactics. Galaxy AI mostly focuses on translation, transcription and photo editing features like Generative Edit for removing objects. 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Joe Maldonado/CNET/PCMag Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE: Bottom line Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is a good phone that's worth the premium over the $700 Motorola Razr, but its $900 price feels awkward. By being so similar to the Flip 6 in design but having a slightly slower processor, it's quite possible that a better overall value could be a discounted Flip 6 in the event you find last year's model for a similar $900 price. If the Flip 7 FE itself is discounted into the $700 range, like we are currently seeing at Amazon, then choosing Samsung over Motorola is absolutely the move. But without the sales, the Flip 7 FE could be a good upgrade for someone who prefers Samsung phones, is curious about getting a flip-style phone and wants a more compact handset with decent cameras. Most people looking for an affordable flip phone, however, should either consider saving more money by going with Motorola's $700 Razr (2025), or spring upward for the $1,000 Razr Plus or $1,100 Flip 7. 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We push the processor's performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates. All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests. We consider additional useful features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others, that can be useful. We balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever its price, actually represents good value. While these tests may not always be reflected in CNET's initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
Android Authority
3 hours ago
- Android Authority
These smashing Galaxy Z Flip 7 wallpapers blend its cameras with the cover screen tastefully
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Most people are using ChatGPT totally wrong—and OpenAI's CEO just proved it
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