Samsung Got Robots To Fold The Galaxy Fold 200,000 Times

by admin

Apr 3, 2019

Damien McFerran 03/04/2019 – 8:39am

So you don’t have to

Ever since Samsung lifted the lid on the Galaxy Fold, there have been doubts about the durability of the handset’s fancy bending OLED screen. Surely a screen which has to be folded and unfolded several times a day is going to deform over time? Then came the reports that Galaxy Fold units were experiencing issues with – you guessed it – the display, with creases appearing in double-quick time. Oops.

Samsung is facing these reports head-on with a video which shows just how vigorously the company is testing the screen on the Galaxy Fold. In the clip, a selection of Fold phones are shown attached to robotic folding machines which – over the course of a week – fold the screen a whopping 200,000 times.

According to Samsung, these “extensive tests in its state-of-the-art reliability labs” are designed to “make sure that the Galaxy Fold is ready to come to market.” In short, the South Korean firm is taking no chances with its upcoming game-changing handset.

“Naturally, given the smartphone’s design, a Folding Test was a pivotal part of the Galaxy Fold’s durability assessment,” adds Samsung’s PR. “This test, which examines whether the Galaxy Fold can outlast 200,000 folds and unfolds (or around five years of use, if used 100 times a day), takes a full week to complete. While the extent of the test may seem like overkill to some, Samsung viewed it as vital to ensuring the durability of device’s hinged design and Infinity Flex Display.”

The message is clear; don’t believe the naysayers, 'crease-gate' is being overblown. Of course, this could also be carefully-orchestrated PR spin; a neatly-planned (but highly controlled) spectacle designed to assure consumers that their £2,000 won’t be spent on a device which develops an unsightly defect after a few months of use.

We wonder if Huawei, Xiaomi and all of the other handset makers about to launch into the folding phone market will be as dedicated to ensuring their phones remain in tip-top condition…