Teardown Reveals Samsung's 'Dust Resistant' Hinge Works on Galaxy Z Fold 2

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 folding smartphone looks like a fragile device, but Samsung claims that the new smartphone is more durable than its first Galaxy Z Fold. While durability is subject to extensive testing, thanks to YouTuber’s like Zack Nelson aka JerryRigEverything who give a fair idea with their teardown videos. The importance of such videos was further established when Samsung itself used a JerryRigEverything to illustrate the durability on its latest folding phone.

One of the most astonishing bit on the famous YouTuber’s video of the last Galaxy Z Fold was just how easily dust went inside the phone’s hinge. This year, Samsung claimed to have added a ‘dust resistant’ hinge on the new Galaxy Z Fold 2. The new mechanism adds bristles in the Galaxy Z Fold 2 hinge to avoid dust getting inside, which according to the latest JerryRigEveryting video, works quite well. Nelson put the Galaxy Z Fold 2 through the same dust test, by dropping a handful of dust and dirt on the Galaxy Z Fold 2. However, unlike last year, the new Galaxy Z Fold 2 appeared to be opening and closing just as smoothly, indicating that the new mechanism from Samsung works on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Nelson had put last year’s Galaxy Z Fold through the same dust test, and the dust immediately found its way inside the hinge mechanism back then, which made folding the device a horrible and ‘crunchy’ experience.

Now, Samsung’s new hinge mechanism works by adding a few bristles inside the hinge, which will brush the dirt out upon opening and closing. It is also important to note that Samsing does not claim the new Galaxy Z Fold 2 to be dust or water resistant.

While the hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is more durable, the smartphone’s foldable display scratches just as easily. While the smaller outside screen, protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, takes a while to scratch (level 6 on JerryRigEverything scale), the folding screen scratches just easily at level 2. Both the outer and inner screen come with plastic screen protectors. Samsung warns its customers against removing the protective layer on the inner screen.

Apart from the dust and scratch test, the teardown video does back Samsung’s claims that the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is more durable than its predecessor in general. To read our review of the new Galaxy Z Fold 2, click here.