Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the first Samsung foldable to fail the durability test

Until today, every Samsung foldable in tablet form factor had passed JerryRigEverything’s durability tests without too much drama, one of the world’s most-followed references when it comes to smartphone durability.

With Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, however, the run of successes ends: during the backward folding test, the inner display permanently gave way, becoming the first Samsung book-style foldable to fail the famous durability test.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: What went wrong in JerryRigEverything’s test

The issue would have manifested during the second, more pronounced backward fold of the device opened: the main display would first tremble for a moment, then shut down completely and become unusable. A result different from what has been observed previously across the Galaxy Z Fold line, including the original model that started the series.

Zack Nelson would put forward three hypotheses about the cause of the damage, without being able to indicate one as certain: a problem with the display’s flexible cable, a malfunction of the sensor that detects bending, or an internal stress generated by the hinge on the panel, particularly thin on this model.

As these are hypotheses formed during the test rather than a definitive technical diagnosis, none of the three can be considered a confirmed explanation.

A different behavior compared to the Fold 8 standard

The fact that makes the result even more surprising is the direct comparison with Fold 8 standard, which withstood similar backward folds with the shell left intact. If you missed the dedicated test, you can catch it in our in-depth look at the Galaxy Z Fold 8 resistance video, useful for better understanding the difference in behavior between the two variants of the same generation.

Technically, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features a 4.1 mm profile when open, an Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 protection and Armor FlexHinge with a double-layer FlexTitanium: features designed precisely to ensure durability, which make the observed failure even more noteworthy.

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