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YouTube channel Mrkeybrd is back with Volume II of “The Great Folding Test” which tests the durability of the hinge and the folding screen of the latest foldable smartphones by manually folding and unfolding them repeatedly until they break. This time around, they are testing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr Plus.
Like last year, the test is being live-streamed on YouTube. As of this writing, it’s already been about 19 hours since the marathon run began. Both foldables have crossed 40,000 folds without any damage. If last year’s result is the benchmark we are looking at, then it could take not hours but several days before either of the phones gives in.
Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus face off in a manual folding test
For the uninitiated, the same YouTube channel carried out a similar test on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 last year. Samsung officially rates the phone to withstand 200,000 folds in its lifetime, but it survived much longer. The foldable reached over 418,500 folds, which is more than double the official rating. The hinge eventually gave up and the device refused to stay fully folded or unfolded.
The whole test took six days to complete. Since the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has the same official rating, it could stretch the YouTuber and their team for a similar duration this year as well. If you want to check on them, we have embedded the live stream at the end of this article.
“In the hands of consumers, these phones will go on boat rides, spend sunny days at the beach, fall in the snow, be tossed into the water, and generally get mishandled and misshapen by the chaotic nature of people,” the YouTuber wrote in a dedicated “The Great Folding Test” website. “Despite this, humans survive and sometimes even thrive, and we hope that these phones will too!”
The same website reveals that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus will be subjected to various other durability tests once they pass the official fold rating stated by their respective manufacturers. Among other things, they will go through temperature, water, and drop tests. “This is where the human element of the test will shine,” the YouTuber says.
Note that folding screens can break more easily when exposed to extreme cold or extreme heat. Samsung officially rates its latest foldables to last only 30,000 folds at –4 (minus 4) degrees Fahrenheit/–20 (minus 20) degrees Celcius. So those temperature tests might kill the Galaxy Z FLip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus faster. You can watch the live stream below.