Samsung’s Z Flip 6 can take a beating like a champ

Summary

• A new durability test shows that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 can take a beating, but its pre-applied screen protector scratches easily.
• The outer cover display holds up well with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, though the inner screen’s PET plastic screen protector doesn’t fare well against flames.
• The phone’s IP48 rating was put to the test with lots of sand being forcibly wedged into the folding mechanism, and the hinge and phone held up well.

Samsung’s foldables aren’t necessarily known for their durability and toughness, and although they can hold up to everyday use somewhat well, they aren’t quite as durable as traditional slab phones yet.

Samsung has touted its recently released Galaxy Z Flip 6 as a more durable successor to the Z Flip 5, with the latter sporting an enhanced armored aluminum frame, pared with IP48 water and dust resistance. For reference, its predecessor is only IPX8 resistant, which means it can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes, though it is not dust-resistant.

To test Samsung’s claims, tech durability guru Zack Nelson, AKA, JerryRigEverything took the Z Flip 6 for a spin through a world of pain, and the foldable held up pretty well.

In his test, Nelson tortured the phone with all of his usual tricks, including bending and scratching the phone, and putting the device in direct contact with fire. Before all that though, he quickly noticed that the horizontal crease on the Flip 6 is significantly muted when compared to the Flip 6 side-by-side. Additionally, another quick-to-point-out difference was that the Z Flip 6 now has four top-aligned earpiece slits instead of four, which might potentially boost incoming audio volume during calls.

Nelson then went on to perform the deed, opening up the Z Flip 6 and scratching it. For reference, just like the Z Flip 5, the Z Flip 6 too has a permanent PET plastic screen protector over the glass display.

This, as expected, started showing scratches on level 2 of the Mohs Hardness Scale, with deeper grooves at level 3. Further, Nelson was able to leave scratches on the screen by barely running his finger nails on it, suggesting that the screen protector isn’t all that improved from its predecessor. This, however, shouldn’t be a huge concern, considering that you won’t be stuffing your phone in areas where it can get scratched, like your pocket, in its unfolded glory.

Nelson then went on to stress test the outer 3.4-inch cover display, and considering that it is made of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, it held up much better, with scratches on level six, and deeper grooves at level 7. This essentially means that the outer display should be fine if it is placed in the same pocket as copper pennies.

The enhanced aluminum armor frame, however, scratches as easily as ever with a utility knife, replicating a chalkboard scraping sound. The two rear cameras, on the other hand, are well protected with glass.

The Z Flip 6 isn’t very flame-retardant

As expected of a screen protected by a layer of PET plastic, it didn’t hold up too well against direct flame. According to Nelson, the display started to “melt” after 14 seconds of contact with a ligter flame, which, by all means, is a lot more than we were expecting. He added that the pixels themselves looked fine, indicating no damage to the internal screen.

Then, to put the IP48 claim to the test, Nelson began pouring layers of sand onto the Z Flip 6, ensuring that he got some (read: a lot) to go into the outer hinge. Despite it being grains of sand, and not dust, which the Flip 6 is rated for, the foldable was able to hold up pretty well, with the hinge performing as intended, albeit with a “squeaky groaning” sound. Further, just like last year’s Flip 5, the phone does flex backward when you try to snap it from the middle, but locks out with no damage to the screen.

Appreciating the internals

Repairing the Z Flip 6 will likely be a nightmare. According to Nelson, as soon as he tried to open up the screen from the front, and lifted out the plastic protector, the pixels fizzled out. In total, Nelson had to remove two plastic layers before reaching the device’s actual AMOLED 2X Ultra-thing glass (UTG) display. A very brief torture test ensued, which made it clear why Samsung has two plastic layers protecting the main display: it punctures very easily, and once that happens, the underlying pixels go black with no way to recover.

Tearing down the phone further reveals a massive vapor chamber, which essentially prevents the foldable from running too hot, a ‘live look’ at the rear cameras, and a peek at what the hinge looks like from inside.

It’s safe to say that Nelson tore down the device in such a way that most of its components would have ceased to function, but for everyday use by regular users, the Z Flip 6 should fare just fine. It appears to be slightly more durable than its predecessor, and albeit still not as tough as a traditional slab phone, it can hold its own in regular use.