The biggest question when it comes to folding devices is long-term durability. If and when things do go wrong, Samsung’s customer support is not quite as ‘premium’ as the company claims. Some new reports claiming the screens are cracking due to cold weather are adding fuel.
An allegedly cold-damaged Galaxy Z Flip (left) and Galaxy Fold (right).
The latest reports come directly from Samsung’s home market in South Korea. In both cases, cracks on the screen are not actually visible, but the symptoms mean problems on the screen, with both devices showing bright spots, lines and that characteristic creeping darkness indicating physical damage. Although it is impossible to verify, customers have noticed in both cases that the use of cold and outdoors is the cause. Although our Korean does not have the task, it seems that Google Translate makes the basic meaning clear.
While the original Galaxy fold did not have the new ultra-thin glass from Samsung, the Z Flip did have the seemingly more durable one.
A Galaxy Z Flip that broke due to ‘cold weather’, according to a Redditor.
Just over a month ago, another customer reported a similar issue with their Z Flip in the cold. However, it is worth pointing out that Sasha Segan at PC Mag last year froze his Z Flip for half an hour and could not damage his device.
You may remember last winter when Raymont Wong of Input encountered a similar issue with a Motorola Razr, which began to delaminate around the area of the fold, possibly due to the fact that it was transporting in an almost cold temperature is. Another (since removed) showed in the same tweet a Galaxy Z Flip that cracked almost immediately after it was not in the box – also possibly due to cold temperatures.
It is logically not surprising that the temperature will affect the function of a folding screen. All the different layers and materials react differently to temperature changes, and the cold tends to make things brittle. Last year, Motorola issued a statement stating that its Razr should not be stored at temperatures below -4 degrees Fahrenheit.
We should also note that this stream of reports, although generally worrying and easy feed for doubts about the durability of the screen, is not a common problem. Still, I’ll be upset if my Z Flip breaks next time I open it outside this winter.