TL;DR JerryRigEverything dismantled the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in a teardown, revealing its complex hinge and layered screen design.
The inner display didn’t survive removal, but the cover screen kept working mid-teardown.
Samsung’s foldable still lets dust in, though the removable batteries and Phillips head screws are welcome on the repairability front.
We’ve already seen the Galaxy Z Flip 7 hold up surprisingly well in JerryRigEverything’s bend test. Now the YouTuber is back, and this time he’s taking things a step further by pulling Samsung’s latest clamshell foldable apart to see what’s inside.
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Early in the Z Flip 7 teardown, he highlights the chunky bumpers surrounding the 6.9-inch folding display. They have some aesthetic merit, but their main job is to keep debris from sneaking into the layered screen and to stop the two halves from pressing against each other when shut. Removing the inner screen proved as fragile as ever, and it gave out in the process, but the smaller cover display kept running even as screws and cables were being pulled out around it.
The teardown also reinforced that Samsung is still using its ultra-thin glass layer under the plastic surface sheets. It bends more than regular glass, but once stressed in the wrong direction, it cracks and shatters like the real thing. Behind the panel, a new protective strip sits between the screen and hinge, though plenty of dust still managed to collect inside. That’s disappointing but not surprising given its sub-optimal IP48 dust-resistance rating.
Other details included the two removable batteries (together rated at 4,300mAh) and an examination of the redesigned “Armor Flex” hinge, which shows multiple rails, springs, and gears. As you’d expect, this is far more complex than a typical smartphone and part of a push to make the Flip tougher. Samsung also used plenty of regular Phillips head screws throughout, making it more straightforward to remove components like speakers and boards once you’re inside.
Like most teardowns, the Flip 7 was never going to make it through in working order. But the process gave a clear look at both the clever engineering and the lingering weaknesses of Samsung’s foldables.
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