Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 survives torture test, but it's not all good news

The stretchable PET layer on top of the phone's screen is highly susceptible to scratches.

What you need to know

• JerryRigEverything has put Samsung's latest foldable flagship through its paces in a new video.
• The Galaxy Z Fold 3 performs surprisingly well in the video, but it is not very difficult to damage the phone.
• The phone's display, despite Samsung's claims, is still "very soft on the surface."

When Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 earlier this month, it claimed that the two phones are "built to last" and have a new protective film that makes their screens "80% more durable than previous foldable devices." Popular YouTuber Zack Nelson, better know as JerryRigEverything, has now put the Galaxy Z Fold 3 through his durability tests to find out if the foldable is actually as strong as Samsung claims it to be.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3's exterior screen, which uses a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on top, starts showing scratches at level six on Moh's scale, with deeper grooves at level seven. The phone's inner screen, on the other hand, scratches at just level two. Nelson says the protective film above the screen is "very soft," which makes it easy to scratch.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3's "Armor Aluminum" is also not as scratch-resistant as Samsung claims. Nelson says the phone's frame "appears to scratch about the same as most other aluminum phones out there." Its side-mounted fingerprint sensor, however, continued to work flawlessly even after being heavily scratched.

When it comes to dust resistance, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 fares quite well. The flagship foldable is relatively well protected against dust, despite not being officially dust resistant. Samsung's best foldable phone of 2021 managed to impress in the bend test as well, with no noticeable damage even when it was bent backwards with the screen unfolded.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

$1,800 at Samsung $1,800 at Amazon $1,800 at Best Buy

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is undoubtedly the best foldable phone you can buy right now. Thanks to a massive 7.6-inch inner screen and well-optimized software, the phone offers an unrivaled multitasking experience.