The huge exception to the Z Fold 3s improved durability is once again its integrated screen protector. When I arrived, there were three other people already on the waitlist– and all of them were waiting to get the screen protector on their Z Fold replaced. Since it takes about an hour to have the screen protector changed and I was fourth in line, I couldnt wait around to get my Z Fold repaired. In the end, while I plan on returning to have my screen protector changed, my huge take away after owning both a Z Fold 2 and a Z Fold 3 is that theres a great possibility youre going to run into bubbles after half a year or so. And if youre running into a comparable issue with your Z Flip or Z Fold, I d extremely suggest you resolve any bubbling as quickly as possible, prior to any other associated concerns pop up.
Collapsible phones are still type of awkward, unverified gadgets. Over the last three generations (with a fourth most likely on the method), Samsung has made major strides with its styles, paving the method for innovative (though sometimes quite pricey) options to the typical glass brick. And when you integrate that with sales of nearing 10 million gadgets last year, it feels like Samsungs foldables are lastly beginning to burglarize the mainstream.
But regardless of a variety of enhancements for many years, theres one aspect of Samsungs collapsible that still requires a great deal of work: toughness. Last year, after acquiring my own Z Fold 2, I recorded some of the problems I dealt with after owning it for 10 months. And after updating to the Z Fold 3 last fall, Im here to report back on how Samsungs latest flagship collapsible is holding up just shy of one year later.
Aside from one scratch at the bottom (which I take sole blame for), my Galaxy Z Fold 3s outside Cover Screen is still almost beautiful. Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Now at this moment, some individuals may be questioning why I updated at all. The bubbles my Z Fold 2s screen experienced were certainly frustrating, but they werent so bad I considered switching back to a basic sweet bar handset. Instead, my main goal for buying the model (aside from expert curiosity) was to get a collapsible that may much better endure a newborn.
Compared to common mobile phones, the Z Fold 2s lack of water resistance was all however guaranteed to become a problem after my boy was born. It felt like I would have to keep the phone in a separate room, lest I chance some little amount of spit up or drool ruining the gadget. And that just wasnt something I wished to do, which is what drew me to the Z Fold 3 and its IPX8 rating. I figured if a phone can endure being in water for approximately 30 minutes at a depth of up to five feet, it might deal with anything an infant might toss (or spit) at it too.
The back of the phone has likewise held up really well, aside from one ding on the edge of the frame. Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Thankfully, I believe my strategy worked, because despite the fact that it cost around $800 to upgrade after trading in my Z Fold 2, that money has already spent for itself. My Z Fold 3 has actually been peed on, its been thrown up on and its had milk sprinkled all over it, and its been totally great. The phone has actually likewise been chomped on more than a handful of times to no result. While the addition of water resistance to Samsungs foldables might not be all that interesting, thinking about routine phones that have had it for years, its a big improvement to daily use.
The remainder of the phones body has actually held up quite well too. Theres a fairly large scratch on its frame and a number of scuffs on its hinge, however those are all cosmetic dings. I must likewise discuss Im not somebody who puts phones in cases or skins, this thing has actually lived naked because the day I got it. So while I have not been taking a trip much, the large number of times this phone has sustained being knocked out of my hand or fallen on the flooring while rushing to get my kid after a nap is sort of outstanding. Even dust and crumbs have actually been dealt with by the additional bristles Samsung put inside its hinge.
There are likewise some little scuffs on the hinge, but thats sort of to be expected considering I never ever put the phone in a case. Sam Rutherford/Engadget
As soon as again its integrated screen protector, the big exception to the Z Fold 3s improved resilience is. For this design, Samsung says it switched away from the TPU material it used on the Z Fold 2 to a new PET movie while also utilizing a stickier adhesive, which was designed to avoid bubbles from forming in between the protector and the display screen itself. In my experience, none of that helped.
For the very first 6 months I had it, my Z Fold 3s screen was pristine. There were no imperfections, bubbles or anything. But then one winter day while I was strolling down the street, I opened the phone and heard a fracture. At initially, I feared the worst, believing its outside cover screen had shattered or something important within had actually broken. But upon closer examination, I observed there was a great line running down the middle of the phone near the crease, as if the protector had been pulled or stretched.
This is what the bubbling appeared like in June, when I first tried to get it repaired. Sam Rutherford/Engadget
And while Im still not sure what the precise cause was, my theory is that after pulling the phone out of my pocket, the cold winter air made the screen protector abnormally fragile, triggering it to snap instead of bend when I opened the phone. This is a problem a number of other Z Fold owners have run into, and as soon as you suffer that initial fracture, its only a matter of time up until bubbles begin to form.
Naturally, the next step was to take the phone to among Samsungs retail areas to have it serviced, at which point I discovered Im far from the only individual handling this. There were three other people already on the waitlist– and all of them were waiting to get the screen protector on their Z Fold changed when I got here. Admittedly, this is simply an anecdotal observation, and Im sure my choice to go to Samsungs flagship 837 location in NYC had something to do with the uncommonly high concentration of $1,800 foldable phones.
This close-up shot demonstrates how gross the display screen can get, due to the fact that as soon as bubbles begin forming, there isnt much you can do to stop dust and initially from getting below the screen protector. Sam Rutherford/Engadget
However, this wasnt a coincidence either. After talking with 2 of the other customers, I discovered that they were also running into issues with bubbles around the 6 to 8 month mark. On top of that, one of the Samsung Care+ associates I talked to basically validated that this was a rather widespread issue, stating that screen protector replacements are the most typically requested repair work for Samsungs foldables. Sadly, due to the fact that it takes about an hour to have the screen protector changed and I was 4th in line, I couldnt wait around to get my Z Fold repaired. So heres a pro suggestion, if your phone needs to be serviced, make certain to schedule your visit online, so you can prevent the line.
In the end, while I plan on going back to have my screen protector replaced, my huge take away after owning both a Z Fold 2 and a Z Fold 3 is that theres a good chance youre going to run into bubbles after half a year or two. And without some sort of extreme upgrade to the screen building, the businesss next generation of Z gadgets will most likely suffer the exact same fate. Thats sort of a downer, since needing to relax for hours to fix something thats probably going to happen again draws. Since they do not live near a certified repair location, and that goes triple or double for anybody who has to mail in their gadget.
This is how my Z Fold 3s screen looks after one year. The bubble now covers the whole height of the display screen. And while its look is more tolerable inside your home, its still far from perfect. Sam Rutherford/Engadget
I will likewise confess that had I not been planning on writing this story, I would have gotten the screen protector replaced months earlier. And if youre running into a comparable concern with your Z Flip or Z Fold, I d highly recommend you resolve any bubbling as soon as possible, prior to any other related problems pop up.
However if Samsung ever desires its foldables to be as popular as the S or A-series phones, the screen protectors bubbling is a problem that requires to be fixed sooner instead of later on. When it comes to me, while I havent chosen if I wish to upgrade again or not, Im simply hoping that anyone on the fence will now have a somewhat more sensible idea of what living with a foldable phone is actually like.All products suggested by Engadget are picked by our editorial team, independent of our moms and dad company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we might earn an affiliate commission.