Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 7 display survives 500,000+ folds: 100+ folds per day for 10 years

Samsung Display has announced that its new foldable OLED panel inside of its new Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable smartphone remained fully functional after a huge 500,000-fold durability test, with it capable of handling over 100 folds per day for over 10 years.

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The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable test can has been proven to last over 10 years of folding for regular users, or over 6 years for heavy users who fold their handset over 200 times a day "without durability concerns". Samsung says that advancements in shock resistance further widen Samsung Display's technological lead in the foldable OLED display market.

The foldable panel was tested and verified by the global testing, inspection, and certification company Bureau Veritas, with Samsung Display raising its internal durability testing standard from 200,000 folds to 500,000 folds, which is 2.5x its previous benchmark, with the company explaining that this underscores its confidence in the panel's long-term resilience. The panel in question is from the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable smartphone.

Samsung Display's new foldable OLED panel has a newly-developed shock-resistant structure, which has been inspired by the design principles of bulletproof glass. Traditional bullet proof glass consists of multiple layers of strengthened glass and plastic films that are engineered to absorb and disperse energy upon impact, so that when a bullet strikes the surface, the elasticity of the outer glass layer takes most of the impact energy, preventing penetration.

• Read more: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 revealed: thinner design, larger display, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

Samsung Display applied this concept by increasing the thickness of its outpost UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) by 50% and introduced a new high-elastic adhesive that has been applied to each layer inside of its OLED panel, offering over 4x the recovery performance when compared to the previous material used. These enhancements significantly improve the panel's ability to absorb external impact.

Not only do we have advancements in the new shock-resistant structure, but Samsung Display has deployed a new flattening structure that was incorporated to distribute shock evenly across the foldable OLED panel, and a titanium plate was used to support the display. This new titanium plate features high strength while being lighter and thinner than conventional materials, resulting in a slimmer form factor with greater protection for the new Galaxy Z Fold 7 smartphone.

Hojung Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Display Product Planning Team at Samsung Display, explains: "As foldable OLED enters its seventh year of commercialization, we've achieved another meaningful breakthrough in both durability and design. This new panel not only builds consumer confidence in foldable OLED durability but also underscores the technological advantage that makes Samsung Display distinguished in the industry".

Samsung notes from its foldable OLED panel testing on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 smartphone:

• Proven to last over 10 years for average users, and over 6 years for heavy users who fold their devices more than 200 times a day without durability concerns
• Developed and applied an innovative panel structure that absorbs and disperses external impact to enhance shock resistance
• Advancement in shock resistance further widens Samsung Display's technological lead in the foldable OLED display market