Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Some shoppers have noticed that Galaxy Z Fold 7 demo units in stores aren’t opening fully flat, sparking concerns online.
- Other users, including our team, report no such issues, suggesting this might be limited to specific demo units.
- Samsung’s updated hinge design could still fall within the 178.5–181.5 degree opening range, but we’re awaiting official confirmation and durability specs.
A number of shoppers are reporting that Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 demo units in retail stores aren’t opening completely flat. The discussion started on Reddit (spotted by Android Central), where a user posted a photo showing a Fold 7 with a noticeable bend (see below), far from the flat profile they expected to see.
“While the phones in store probably get abused a fair bit, considering how little they have been available to try out in store, this worries me a bit,” the Reddit user noted.
A few others have joined the thread, claiming they’ve also noticed the same issue at retail locations like Best Buy. But not everyone’s had the same experience, with a couple of people also chiming in to say they’ve noticed no issues on the demo units they’ve seen.
Personally, I’ve used two different Galaxy Z Fold 7 units since launch, and both open completely flat. When placed on a table, there’s only a negligible visible gap where the tiny hinge slightly protrudes from the frame, but no curvature like what’s seen in the Reddit photo. None of my colleagues have seen any signs of the screen failing to unfold fully flat, either.
For some context, when Samsung introduced its “zero-gap” hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, it said that the fully open angle typically falls between 178.5 and 181.5 degrees. That might still apply to the Fold 7, although we’ll need to confirm with the company.
The Fold 7 comes with a new, thinner, and lighter Armor FlexHinge, which, in my experience, has visibly reduced creasing. Samsung also claims it strengthens durability by distributing stress more evenly, though we don’t know its official durability rating yet. For comparison, the Fold 6 is rated for over 200,000 open/close cycles.
At this point, it’s unclear why some retail Fold 7 units aren’t folding flat. They might just be worn out from overuse on display, or they may be defective. It’s also possible that the people reporting the issue didn’t fully unfold the device. It definitely doesn’t look like a widespread problem at this point. We’ll contact Samsung for clarification and update this article if we hear back.
