New Galaxy Fold durability test exposes glaring flaws Samsung has yet to iron out (video)
Technically, the world's first foldable device from a household name of the mobile industry is still at its first generation, and with the exception of a few thousand early adopters in Samsung's homeland, no one can actually use the Galaxy Fold as a daily driver yet.
But following a spring launch attempt that turned into a fiasco due to catastrophic display issues, the world's top smartphone vendor is gearing up for a global re-release of a reengineered Galaxy Fold. A Galaxy Fold 2.0, if you will, which was supposed to withstand daily abuse (or at least regular use) much better than its "predecessor." Then again, the fact Samsung took the time to put together a video instructing future owners how to "care for" their foldable phones was certainly not encouraging, and as it turns out, this "improved" bad boy is still pretty fragile.
Popular YouTuber and professional gadget torturer Zack Nelson with JerryRigEverything has somehow managed to get his hands on a retail Korean version of the "Galaxy Fold 2.0", which was naturally subjected to a routine set of durability tests... with a special twist. In addition to assessing the handset's scratch, flame, and bend resistance, Nelson went ahead and put this $2,000 product in direct contact with dust, which... did not end very well.
Speaking of irreparable harm, you should know Samsung means it when warning against "pressing hard on the screen", as even your fingernail can do considerable damage to the flexible but incredibly feeble AMOLED display on the inside of the device. On the bright side, the smaller "cover" display, metal frame, glass-covered cameras, and glass back panel are just as premium and solid as you've come to expect from conventional high-enders nowadays. In fact, the articulating hinge is almost unbelievably robust, surviving the repeated attempts of Zack Nelson to break the entire device by bending it the wrong way.
At the end of the day, however, those undeniable strengths can't offset all the glaring weak points of an insufficiently improved product that costs way too much money.
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