Samsung Folding Screen Reaches 500,000 Folds, Holds More Than 10 Years Of Usage

Illustration of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. (photo: x @gizmochina)

JAKARTA - Samsung Display has just reached an important milestone in the world of foldable phones. Their latest folding OLED screen has successfully passed a 500,000-fold resistance test, which has been independently verified by the Bureau of Veritas, the global inspection agency and certification. This achievement marks great progress in the resilience of foldable devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Samsung estimates that this resilience is equivalent to more than 10 years of daily usage, if users fold their devices about 100 times per day. Even for heavy users who fold up to 200 times per day, this panel is predicted to last more than six years without a problem.

In comparison, Samsung's previous internal standard was 200,000 folds, meaning this new achievement was 2.5 times higher.

Technology Inspired By Bulletproof Glass

What is the secret behind this extraordinary resilience? The Samsung Display develops a new panel structure inspired by the principle of tackled glass. Like ahargic glass that absorbs and spreads collisions through multiple layers, this folding screen is also designed with similar principles.

Some major improvements include:

- Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) which is 50% thicker than the previous generation.

- The new elastic cross-section is among the layers of the panel, with the ability to recover four times better than the previous material.

- A new flattening structure that helps distribute the pressure evenly.

- A support plate made from light but strong titanium, provides additional protection without adding to the thickness.

This technology is already in use at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which has just been launched.

With this success, Samsung wants to allay consumer concerns regarding folding screen resistance. In the seventh year since the first commercialization of the folding OLED screen, resilience is no longer the main obstacle.

Even so, Samsung still reminds that folding screens are still vulnerable to falling 'big enemies' for all types of screens, especially those that are flexible. Therefore, even though it is more resistant, physical protection remains important.