Samsung has come under scrutiny after they posted a video testing the durability of their new flip phones: the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3.
The tech company has not given an explanation for why it shared the durability tests, but Jay Peters, a writer at The Verge reported that in his opinion, the video could be an attempt to calm fears based on recent reports of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 screen cracking.
The Galazy Z Flip 3 was released in September and, according to CNET, US sales of the Z Flip 3 and the Z Fold 3 in the first month of their release surpassed all sales of Samsung’s flip phones from the last two years.
Samsung said that customers in the US bought five times more Z Fold 3 phones than their predeccessors, Z Fold 2s. Similarly, the Z Flip 3 phones were bought 40 times more than the Z Flip 5G.
However, as CNET points out, Samsung has not provided actual numerical figures for the sales.
While the Z Flip 3 has received positive reviews, there are now worrying reports of the screens cracking. Most notable is Ben Schoon from 9to5Google‘s review.
Schoon opened by saying that he has, “been enamored by foldable smartphones ever since Samsung launched its original Galaxy Fold, but there’s no denying this technology is in its early days.”
“Even as phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 inch their way into the mainstream market, it takes just one flaw to serve as a reminder that these phones still have some progress to make when it comes to durability, specifically with the glass.”
Schoon points to some of the innovations Samsung has made with the new Flip models, including improved water resistance and an improved hinge, which proved problematic in the Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s first foldable phone.
However, Schoon also reports a “mysterious issue that sees the glass shatter for seemingly no reason.”
He said that he picked up his review Z Flip 3 after a few days of not using it, and was “shocked to see that the ultra-thin glass had broken”.
“I hadn’t dropped the phone in recent days (only once in my usage, weeks beforehand), I hadn’t exposed it to extreme heat or cold, I hadn’t even really touched it over the course of at least a few days, so the shattered glass came as a genuine shock to me.”
Users on Reddit have also shared similar problems with the Z Flip 3, with one poster writing “got the thing less than three days ago, treated it like a baby. Went to open it just before going to bed and was confronted by this beautiful site.” The review was accompanied with a photo.
Another also commented that they had a similar experience with the phone. However, other users on the thread reported positive experiences with the Z Flip.
One said: “Has to be a faulty device. I wouldn’t say that I abuse my phone, but I’ve had it since launch and I’ve angrily slammed it shut, dropped it, and accidentally sat on it open. No damage whatsoever.”
“Not saying it’s immortal, but something like that doesn’t happen on its own without a defect. It’s not the brand’s fault.”
Another said, “I had mine for over a month now, nothing wring with my flip yet. Hopefully nothing happens.”
Samsung has yet to release a statement about the cracking reports, but the video (posted on October 12) is a ‘behind the scenes’ of how the Fold 3 and Flip 3 are tested. It shows four different tests based on four different climates: an environmental chamber, water resistance, S Pen usability and a folding tests.
On its website, Samsung said, “to ensure that the new foldables live up to their namesake, the Galaxy Z series devices undergo rigorous folding tests to outlast 200,000 folds—or around five years of use if folded and unfolded 100 times a day.”
