When you buy an $1,800 smartphone, you want it to last. Fortunately for those who purchased the Samsung Galaxy Fold 3, the phone looks like it can take a bit of a beating — more than its predecessors, at least.
YouTuber JerryRigEverything took a knife, keys, and dirt to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to see how it would hold up to everyday abuse, and came away pleasantly surprised.
The Fold 3’s exterior screen, which is made of Gorilla Glass Victus, is rated a 6 on the Moh hardness scale, which JerryRigEverything found to be accurate. The plastic screen on the inside, though, is far less durable, and was scratched much more easily — a mere level 2.
Even a fingernail was able to leave marks on the surface, though to be fair, Samsung does warn against using your fingernail on the Z Fold 3’s inside screen. However, the interior display did manage to last twice as long on the burn test, should you ever take a lighter to your phone.
While Samsung touted the “armor aluminum” chassis of the Z Fold 3, JerryRigEverything found that its finish scratched as easily as most other phones on the market. (Watch the video to hear the excruciating sound of a razor blade being dragged across metal.)
The fingerprint sensor also appeared to function normally even after being scratched repeatedly with a razor.
The Z Fold 3 is IPX8 water resistant – which means it can survive some splashes — and it’s fairly dust-resistant, too. After pouring a handful of dust, rocks, and dirt onto the middle of the interior screen then folding the phone several times, JerryRigEverything found that the mechanism still worked well.
Like the Galaxy Fold 2, the Galaxy Fold 3 survived the “bend test,” where he tries to bend the phone backwards while it’s open. Despite a couple of attempts, there was little to no damage.
So, while it’s not indestructible, it looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 should at least survive everyday wear and tear — and then some.
