Watch: What Happens When You Fold Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Over 200,000 Times?

Samsung's latest foldable flagship, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, is touted as the company's most durable foldable yet, boasting a hinge rated for up to 500,000 folds - double that of its predecessors. But a real-world folding test conducted by YouTuber Tech-it is now raising eyebrows, after the device started showing signs of trouble far earlier than expected.

Rather than relying on mechanical folding rigs - which apply consistent pressure, speed, and angles - Tech-it opted for a more hands-on approach. Over the course of several days, the YouTuber manually folded the phone more than 200,000 times, simulating real-world use conditions. The idea was to better reflect how consumers naturally open and close the device with varying force and speed throughout the day.

And the results were unsettling.

According to Tech-it's final test video and a detailed error log shared online, the Z Fold 7 encountered its first hiccup after only 6,000 folds, a far cry from the advertised 500,000. While the cause of the initial error wasn't immediately clear, things soon escalated:

• 6,000–10,000 folds: The device experienced its first reboot error, which continued to occur every 10,000 folds after that.

• 46,000 folds: Tech-it reported the emergence of creaking noises around the hinge, a classic sign of internal wear.

• 75,000 folds: A mysterious black liquid was seen leaking from the hinge. It didn't appear again, but its origin and impact remain unknown.

• 175,000 folds: The phone's speakers - top, bottom, and earpiece - stopped working entirely.

Watch the 5-hour-long video below:

By the time the Z Fold 7 reached 200,000 folds, Tech-it observed noticeable wear in the hinge mechanics. Although the phone's“free-stop” feature still functioned (allowing the screen to hold position at various angles), the elastic feel of the hinge had diminished significantly, making it feel loose and overused.

The hinge was, ironically, smoother to operate, a detail that might sound positive but could suggest structural weakening over time.

Given that all these problems occurred well before 200,000 folds, Tech-it's findings cast doubt on the phone's long-term durability and question how many users will realistically benefit from the 500,000-fold milestone without encountering major usability setbacks.

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