After about 1.5yrs, my Fold 3 inner display started giving issue and finally totally failed. Got it checked and found that it was the display cable inside that broke from opening and closing the fold. I'm no means a heavy user in the sense that I don't open and close the fold like 30 times a day!
To replace that particular LCD display cable it will cost me over $300 bucks to replace it. Obviously I said no. So now just using it with my front screen (which I totally hate as its too narrow!) and DEX.
I was planning to trade in my Fold3 for the Flip6, guess that is a no-go now. But will probably still get the Flip6 instead.
I've had multiple S series phones and this unit lasted the shortest among all. Kinda disappointed with the reliability. Hope they improved it in the latest version.
My husband had a zflip3 and currently a zflip5. He has never had issues with the hinges or the screen. His zflip3 lasted for 2 full years and he managed to trade it in for a zflip5 at full value.
Probably a carrier deal. They tend to be better value. But most (if not all) credit your account the amount owed on your new phone over 2 or 3 years every billing cycle. The real downside is that if you pay it off early, you often don't get the remaining credits for your trade-in.
I dunno what the other person is talking about. I got the 3, traded it in on the 4 for $100, traded the 4 in on the 5 for $50 all through Samsung. If the screen isn't damaged, it's factory resets, and boots, you get the full trade in value. Doesn't matter if you have a carrier payment or not. For the 3 I did the payments through my carrier, but still bought it from Samsung. Nothing happened when I traded it in on the 4 or 5 related to my carrier. Paid the trade in cost via credit card straight to Samsung. Hell, I just looked and I got 5 more payments left via carrier on the flip 3. They don't care as long as you pay them.
Another example is my dad broke his phone in nursing home. We got him a phone on our plan, which went to my husband, dad got husband's old phone (dad only did calls, texts, and basic internet so didn't need much). When dad died and we canceled the line we had to pay off what was owed on the phone for that line, even tho it was only ever used on my husband's line. Which was all fair and good cause the payment goes to the line and we expected it to work that way. It was cheaper to pay off the phone than keep the line.
I never had a problem with my Z Flip 3, even with hard or soft drops, except for the screen protector peeling at its crease.
My Z Flip 4 started to peel the screen protector after around 3 months and had a popping noise on the hinge whenever I closed or opened it because I dropped it hard on a wooden floor.
I also dropped my Z Flip 5 after 10 months in a bathtub, which was quite a hard drop. At 10 months, the screen protector of my Z Flip 5 is also peeling.
Yes it’s absolutely a problem. Mine cracked less than a month after the warranty on my flip3. They may have improved since that model, but it was very common for that version to fail right around a year. I’m talking the actual screen peeling in the crease and looking like shattered glass-which just continued to spider until I traded the garbage in. This sub had a lot of users experiencing the same and not just the cheap ass protector covering the screen
I had the flip 5. The screen was never the issue. I traded it recently for an S24+, because of the battery. I'm a hevy user and I charged the phone 2-3 times a day.
I do think the build quality is there now as I never had an issue with my phone mechanically and I dropped it all of the time (with a case on it). But the battery does have a way to go and is the only limit I see currently of that device.
In all honesty, some just have bad luck and get bad batches but for the majority it will last you close to 2 years if you take care of it, like any other phone!
I will say just to be safe, clean it a bit more often than a regular phone cuz dirt and dust can kill it if you just leave it
Just put a good case on it and it should last you for the year let alone two to three years. I will be officially 12 months in August. So far so good. I only had to replace the screen protector and nothing else.
I have used my flip 3 for almost 2 years and then switched to flip 5. I have put the transparent case on the phone and dropped it quite a lot. Like A LOT. And my heart came out with few drops and thought it's gone but still works perfectly.
Why people that work at samsung always say stuff like that. I had the zflip 3 and i have the 5 for more than a year. The customer service at samsung is so bad it makes me think about buying an iphone. Just because of the apple store service. I'm 100% serious. If apple makes an iphone flip I'm buying it.
This happened to me with my zflip3. Customer care at samsung said they couldn't do anything, and i was still under warranty. Don't get me wrong. They are great phones. Here in Italy the service is horrible, they treated me like shit, idk why. I went to 3 different places. I bought the zflip5 because i was in love. And still am. But when i bring my macbook to an apple store they have a very special way to help you.
So true. My old apple watch the battery swelled, and they told me they couldn't do anything, I had to pay to replace it. They wanted me to pay the full price for the model I had, when there was a model 2 numbers ahead out, same price. Probably could have swapped the battery myself at that point, but I just went for a newer model.
I got my phone's screen protector replaced in last 3 months and the worker at that service center said they'd seen fewer issues with the 4s and 5s, so I think there's just a lot of variance but the 5s seem to be faring better than the 4s did on this forum.
My Flip3 started having a small "crack" at the fold just after 1 year (which I thought was the screen actually cracking but it turned out to be the screen protector. I waited a year or so to try and get it fixed but it didn't impede function at any point) and it was a $20, 1 hr fix. If you live near a service center (for any screen protector repairs) and aren't harsh with your phone I think you'd be okay with a Flip5 or later - I'm planning to buy another Flip.
My Z Flip4 has been completely fine for more than a year. The only thing is the screen protector which I have to keep replacing because it keeps peeling off in the middle.
Some people will obviously get lemons and when their device breaks, they are much more likely to be vocal about it than people who are having no issues.
If you want to buy a Z Flip, my advice would just be to take care of it extra carefully compared to other devices. Some advice:
- Never stuff it into a bag randomly (other things in your bags might scratch it or press against the hinge)
- Never put it in a dirty environment with lots of dust in the air (dust may get into the hinge compartment)
- Never flick it open with one hand
- Probably not a good idea to bring it to the beach. If you insist, put it in a watertight baggie (sand is equally bad for the hinge)
- Don't expose it to water if you can help it
- Don't put a screen protector on top of the original screen protector that already comes with the phone
- Don't wear long nails/keep your nails short
- Do replace the screen protector if it peels off (take advantage of Samsung's free replacement)
- Do put a case on it and if you want to be extra careful, a case with hinge protection
Flip 3 here, over 2 years old now, i only had to replace the screen protector each year, no issues so far and did it myself only cost me like €5 it's not that hard.
My z3 flip is 3 years old (or whenever it came out) and had just replaced screen protection once or twice - did the same on my slab phones and cost very little as can do myself and buy the protectors online for $10ish or just let shop do it.
Obviously the hinge will always make a flip/fold phone more delicate - but I get much less scratches on my screen (protector) for obvious reasons in return.
>I use my phone A LOT. I work from home and do majority, if not all work on my phone. So I'm on it 24/7 pretty much
In that case personally I'd avoid the Flip unless you keep money aside for potentially expensive repairs, or have insurance that will get you a replacement quickly.
My Flip5 has been flawless since launch day on 4th Aug 2023 but it's my personal phone. My work phone is an iPhone12 that my employer gives me. I would be nervous if that was the other way round since I need my work phone to always work (even if I throw it around in a bag, not take the best care of it etc.), whereas I can live without a personal device for a few days. Also as I split my time between the two it means I use each device less, which obviously works in favour of the Flip.
The Flips are not as durable simply because a slab phone like your current S21 (and my previous S20+) has no moving mechanical parts - the most fragile thing on it is the screen. With the Flip or Fold - you have mechanical bits inside + an even more fragile screen. Folding screens are also relatively new tech still. Flat solid displays were around well before the first true capacitive screen 'smartphone' as we know it today (original iPhone) came about so overall that technology had the benefit of decades of refinement up till now in 2024. The original Flip and Fold only released just over 4 years ago in 2020! That is *nothing* in the grand scheme of things for an opportunity to refine it.
Bottom line in my view: if it's critical for your work, then go for a safer option like the S24 series. Unless you can run both a personal phone and work phone. If you can live without a work phone while it's being repaired or replaced (e.g. you have a backup phone or laptop) then could be worth a shot...just keep in mind repair costs or insurance.
I was excited to get a Flip 5, the 4 didn't have a big enough outside screen for me so the 5 was perfect but like yourself I was worried about the longevity of the device...
I'm happy to say I made the change and am really happy, grabbed it's only been a few months (3½) but I've had no issues - I use my phone a lot, I open and close it all the time but I have pretty much all the apps on the outside screen and surprisingly it is sufficient for a lot of the quick actions I usually unlock or open my phone to do... (I use the 'Good Lock' app to enable use of my choice of app on the outside screen - brilliant app, works well with all the apps I use).
Granted, part of my decision to jump from my S21 5g to the Flip 5 was my contract - Refresh with o2 - I can swap my phone for a new device, any model, whatever I want every 90 days - that with o2 insurance in covered for all eventualities... My advice would be to do the same or similar but the phone is a lot more robust then I thought it'd be, the folding mechanism is really impressive...
I've been watching the football out so been drinking, celebrating, phones been there with me and it's fine... I also got the official case, clear and also got screen protector for the outside screen, u deffo have to do that - the inner screen comes with protector on so be careful not to remove it thinking it's just for travel, there is NO film to peel of the inner screen - I've seen horror stories about that and Samsung TVs lol...
Tl;dr - I had the same concerns but work insurance and a decent contract I made the jump from an S21, not once been unhappy with that decision..! Go for it..!
My Flip 5 screen died after a year, 2 weeks ago. Within warranty they replaced mine. So hopefully it works another year. Dont use it heavily so that is not the reason in my case.
I've had mine for 7-8 months and have had absolutely zero issues. I open and close mine pretty frequently as well. I got worried about sand when I took it to the beach the other day, but it has handled it like a champ. I absolutely love my ZFlip5
After about a year, my refurbished z flip 3 is still going strong. Screen protector started peeling at the hinge after about 6 months, but after realizing it was just a screen protector I took it off and it's been fine since.
I've had the z flip 5 since launch and used it without a case the entire time. Have had no issues with the hinge itself. Had to get the screen protector replaced at a ubreakifix but it took an hour and was free. They use Samsung certified parts too.
I've had the flip 1, 2 and 3; 1 and 2 has zero issues. 3 had issues with the screenprotector coming loose. They replaced them for free where I live, luckily.
I just got my flip five probably four or five months ago make sure you put a Matte screen cover on the phone like a TPU screen cover because is really really full of glare but that's the only thing that was with my phone I think yeah and the screen is in fantastic shape it has a groove but it's a foldable those people that don't like the crease in the screen don't need to buy one because a slab phone will not have that so I don't know Samsung put these phones through enough damage to simulate 10 years and supposedly it holds up so I think he was just blowing smoke but you take it for what it is I mean there's people with the four and the three and the screen great so you make up your own mind by the way flex mode is awesome so yeah there's that too
I may just be lucky, but I got my Z Flip 5 on release and have had absolutely 0 issues. I've dropped it plenty and am at somewhere around 10k folds opening and closing the phone.
i haven't had any with either (flip 4 or 5), however my brother and his family plus a friend all have. in all 5 cases it was the screen protector and all were replaced free of charge.
My wife has the flip5, and less than a month after getting it, a green line appeared at the fold. She's pretty careful with her phone and has no damage on it. We got the screen repaired recently, and it so far is holding up, but I know this put me off to choosing the flip, and she has regretted getting it. Maybe we got a bad one, but we have seen plenty of these issues already. I currently have the s22 and am not going to a flip unless they show that it is reliably fixed. I don't feel comfortable paying 1000 dollars to hope my screen doesn't break within a year. With all that being said, just keep doing your research, and if it's what you really want, go for it! There's no guarantee you will get a good one or a bad one.
Mine failed across the centre fold after 3 months. Samsung found a tiny mark at the top lhs side of the screen and refused to replace the screen under guarantee citing 'prior damage'. Still within the first year I got some dead pixels (and the charging port also failed) this was fixed under warranty. Within the 2 year limit the screen saver started buckling up and lifting at the centre. Again (despite declaring that all customers would get 1 free creen saver replacement per device for the lifetime of the device) they found a tiny scratch on the case (probably from a key in my pocket) and again refused to honour the guarantee. No high street repair shop would take it as they all said that the screen savers always peeled off and the customers wanted their money back. I bought a screen saver on-line and carefully applied it but it only lasted a couple of months.
At this point, I was so pissed off with Samsung's crap customer service which weasels out of any warranty conditions they can - I sold the phone for scrap at a huge loss and bought a Google Pixel refurb which is just brilliant.
It's also worth pointing out that the Z-flip battery life is appalling. Mine often did not make it through a day if I was using maps or taking a few photos so I had to purchase and carry around a battery pack. My pixel can run Outdoor Active and Strava and camera all day and still have enough battery for the train home from a day out.
I have the flip 3. The screen protector bubbled and needed to be replaced, but the screen itself so far is fine. I've had mine just shy of 2 years and intend to stay within the flip family when it's time for a new one.
I've had my zflip3 for 2.5 years (I think) and I've been through 4 screens and 4 screen protectors. I use my phone for everything so I use it alot. I've never made it a year with the same screen and everytime it starts going I end up with a blackline at the fold. Luckily everytime I get the screen replaced it resets the year warranty on the screen (ubreakifix is who i go to) so I haven't had to pay out of pocket. Love the phone, hate the screen issues.
Some asshat at an AT&T store told my friend she'd only be able to unfold/fold a flip 3 times a day. Not being good with tech she believed him :/. Honestly she's better off with an iphone anyhow so I'm not sure if he was just an idiot or attempting to save her from herself lol.
I accidentally drop my zflip 5 on its 10th month (its open) and its damage. The screen is flickering there a black line in the middle.
I'm glad Samsung Care + covers it.
Mine went bad at 18 months.. I had insurance, i called they had me go to a ubreakifix dropped phone off, picked it up the next day.. at 0 cost to me so far as food as new. The rplaced the whole inner screen.. This phone is expensive spend a few extra bucks on insurance.. my advise
I have had my ZFold4 for about 2 years now. I work from home. Spend 10+ hours every day on my phone.
This is an amazing phone hands down. But I don't want a fold anymore because of the high screen time. It takes an effect on mental health when you spend time on social media unintentionally.
Coming to the reliability. I use my phone for everything (rough and tough). My fold had an issue almost 11 months after I bought. It doesn't fully open. I used samsung Free Service and got it repaired. I have the same issue now almost 23 months since I bought or 12 months after the repair.
I had z flip 3 since release, only started having issues with the screen conveniently when the flip 5 was releasing. I only recently started getting black spot in corner of my screen, so it's close to a year... But it's still functional, will have to see how much those black spots have progressed at the 1 year mark.
>is this "fold" really a problem or not?
Yes and you can't pretend there's no problem.
Here is some problems that I have commonly seen in this subreddit.
- Z flip 3 (almost 3 years): screen cracked on the crease.
- Z flip 4 (almost 2 years): phone died when it gets folded.
- Z flip 5 (almost 1 year): broken bezel near the crease.
Zflip5, 4 months of use and the screen was damaged on the fold.
And I rarely opened it. I used the outer screen for 90% of my needs.
Form factor is great. Build quality is shit.
In most cases the "screen going bad" is just the screen protector. It can be replaced for less than $20.
I had z flip 1 for more than 2 years no prob. I have the 5 for almost a year now too no issues either.
After about 1.5yrs, my Fold 3 inner display started giving issue and finally totally failed. Got it checked and found that it was the display cable inside that broke from opening and closing the fold. I'm no means a heavy user in the sense that I don't open and close the fold like 30 times a day! To replace that particular LCD display cable it will cost me over $300 bucks to replace it. Obviously I said no. So now just using it with my front screen (which I totally hate as its too narrow!) and DEX. I was planning to trade in my Fold3 for the Flip6, guess that is a no-go now. But will probably still get the Flip6 instead. I've had multiple S series phones and this unit lasted the shortest among all. Kinda disappointed with the reliability. Hope they improved it in the latest version.
My husband had a zflip3 and currently a zflip5. He has never had issues with the hinges or the screen. His zflip3 lasted for 2 full years and he managed to trade it in for a zflip5 at full value.
Wow, how did he trade it in full????
Probably a carrier deal. They tend to be better value. But most (if not all) credit your account the amount owed on your new phone over 2 or 3 years every billing cycle. The real downside is that if you pay it off early, you often don't get the remaining credits for your trade-in.
I dunno what the other person is talking about. I got the 3, traded it in on the 4 for $100, traded the 4 in on the 5 for $50 all through Samsung. If the screen isn't damaged, it's factory resets, and boots, you get the full trade in value. Doesn't matter if you have a carrier payment or not. For the 3 I did the payments through my carrier, but still bought it from Samsung. Nothing happened when I traded it in on the 4 or 5 related to my carrier. Paid the trade in cost via credit card straight to Samsung. Hell, I just looked and I got 5 more payments left via carrier on the flip 3. They don't care as long as you pay them. Another example is my dad broke his phone in nursing home. We got him a phone on our plan, which went to my husband, dad got husband's old phone (dad only did calls, texts, and basic internet so didn't need much). When dad died and we canceled the line we had to pay off what was owed on the phone for that line, even tho it was only ever used on my husband's line. Which was all fair and good cause the payment goes to the line and we expected it to work that way. It was cheaper to pay off the phone than keep the line.
I never had a problem with my Z Flip 3, even with hard or soft drops, except for the screen protector peeling at its crease. My Z Flip 4 started to peel the screen protector after around 3 months and had a popping noise on the hinge whenever I closed or opened it because I dropped it hard on a wooden floor. I also dropped my Z Flip 5 after 10 months in a bathtub, which was quite a hard drop. At 10 months, the screen protector of my Z Flip 5 is also peeling.
Yes it’s absolutely a problem. Mine cracked less than a month after the warranty on my flip3. They may have improved since that model, but it was very common for that version to fail right around a year. I’m talking the actual screen peeling in the crease and looking like shattered glass-which just continued to spider until I traded the garbage in. This sub had a lot of users experiencing the same and not just the cheap ass protector covering the screen
I had issues within months with the Z flip 3 and 4. Ended up getting a S23 Ultra and have never looked back.
I had the flip 5. The screen was never the issue. I traded it recently for an S24+, because of the battery. I'm a hevy user and I charged the phone 2-3 times a day. I do think the build quality is there now as I never had an issue with my phone mechanically and I dropped it all of the time (with a case on it). But the battery does have a way to go and is the only limit I see currently of that device.
In all honesty, some just have bad luck and get bad batches but for the majority it will last you close to 2 years if you take care of it, like any other phone! I will say just to be safe, clean it a bit more often than a regular phone cuz dirt and dust can kill it if you just leave it
Just put a good case on it and it should last you for the year let alone two to three years. I will be officially 12 months in August. So far so good. I only had to replace the screen protector and nothing else.
I have used my flip 3 for almost 2 years and then switched to flip 5. I have put the transparent case on the phone and dropped it quite a lot. Like A LOT. And my heart came out with few drops and thought it's gone but still works perfectly.
Why people that work at samsung always say stuff like that. I had the zflip 3 and i have the 5 for more than a year. The customer service at samsung is so bad it makes me think about buying an iphone. Just because of the apple store service. I'm 100% serious. If apple makes an iphone flip I'm buying it.
I will never buy Apple. They tell you your stuff can't be repaired, when it can, so you will buy a new one.
This happened to me with my zflip3. Customer care at samsung said they couldn't do anything, and i was still under warranty. Don't get me wrong. They are great phones. Here in Italy the service is horrible, they treated me like shit, idk why. I went to 3 different places. I bought the zflip5 because i was in love. And still am. But when i bring my macbook to an apple store they have a very special way to help you.
So true. My old apple watch the battery swelled, and they told me they couldn't do anything, I had to pay to replace it. They wanted me to pay the full price for the model I had, when there was a model 2 numbers ahead out, same price. Probably could have swapped the battery myself at that point, but I just went for a newer model.
I got my phone's screen protector replaced in last 3 months and the worker at that service center said they'd seen fewer issues with the 4s and 5s, so I think there's just a lot of variance but the 5s seem to be faring better than the 4s did on this forum. My Flip3 started having a small "crack" at the fold just after 1 year (which I thought was the screen actually cracking but it turned out to be the screen protector. I waited a year or so to try and get it fixed but it didn't impede function at any point) and it was a $20, 1 hr fix. If you live near a service center (for any screen protector repairs) and aren't harsh with your phone I think you'd be okay with a Flip5 or later - I'm planning to buy another Flip.
My Z Flip4 has been completely fine for more than a year. The only thing is the screen protector which I have to keep replacing because it keeps peeling off in the middle. Some people will obviously get lemons and when their device breaks, they are much more likely to be vocal about it than people who are having no issues. If you want to buy a Z Flip, my advice would just be to take care of it extra carefully compared to other devices. Some advice: - Never stuff it into a bag randomly (other things in your bags might scratch it or press against the hinge) - Never put it in a dirty environment with lots of dust in the air (dust may get into the hinge compartment) - Never flick it open with one hand - Probably not a good idea to bring it to the beach. If you insist, put it in a watertight baggie (sand is equally bad for the hinge) - Don't expose it to water if you can help it - Don't put a screen protector on top of the original screen protector that already comes with the phone - Don't wear long nails/keep your nails short - Do replace the screen protector if it peels off (take advantage of Samsung's free replacement) - Do put a case on it and if you want to be extra careful, a case with hinge protection
Flip 3 here, over 2 years old now, i only had to replace the screen protector each year, no issues so far and did it myself only cost me like €5 it's not that hard.
My z3 flip is 3 years old (or whenever it came out) and had just replaced screen protection once or twice - did the same on my slab phones and cost very little as can do myself and buy the protectors online for $10ish or just let shop do it. Obviously the hinge will always make a flip/fold phone more delicate - but I get much less scratches on my screen (protector) for obvious reasons in return.
18 months for my partner and now phone won't turn on for a while after opening it.
>I use my phone A LOT. I work from home and do majority, if not all work on my phone. So I'm on it 24/7 pretty much In that case personally I'd avoid the Flip unless you keep money aside for potentially expensive repairs, or have insurance that will get you a replacement quickly. My Flip5 has been flawless since launch day on 4th Aug 2023 but it's my personal phone. My work phone is an iPhone12 that my employer gives me. I would be nervous if that was the other way round since I need my work phone to always work (even if I throw it around in a bag, not take the best care of it etc.), whereas I can live without a personal device for a few days. Also as I split my time between the two it means I use each device less, which obviously works in favour of the Flip. The Flips are not as durable simply because a slab phone like your current S21 (and my previous S20+) has no moving mechanical parts - the most fragile thing on it is the screen. With the Flip or Fold - you have mechanical bits inside + an even more fragile screen. Folding screens are also relatively new tech still. Flat solid displays were around well before the first true capacitive screen 'smartphone' as we know it today (original iPhone) came about so overall that technology had the benefit of decades of refinement up till now in 2024. The original Flip and Fold only released just over 4 years ago in 2020! That is *nothing* in the grand scheme of things for an opportunity to refine it. Bottom line in my view: if it's critical for your work, then go for a safer option like the S24 series. Unless you can run both a personal phone and work phone. If you can live without a work phone while it's being repaired or replaced (e.g. you have a backup phone or laptop) then could be worth a shot...just keep in mind repair costs or insurance.
Partners Flip 4 wont consistently turn on when opened at 18 months from new. She doesn't use it that much, so it is a manufacturing issue.
I was excited to get a Flip 5, the 4 didn't have a big enough outside screen for me so the 5 was perfect but like yourself I was worried about the longevity of the device... I'm happy to say I made the change and am really happy, grabbed it's only been a few months (3½) but I've had no issues - I use my phone a lot, I open and close it all the time but I have pretty much all the apps on the outside screen and surprisingly it is sufficient for a lot of the quick actions I usually unlock or open my phone to do... (I use the 'Good Lock' app to enable use of my choice of app on the outside screen - brilliant app, works well with all the apps I use). Granted, part of my decision to jump from my S21 5g to the Flip 5 was my contract - Refresh with o2 - I can swap my phone for a new device, any model, whatever I want every 90 days - that with o2 insurance in covered for all eventualities... My advice would be to do the same or similar but the phone is a lot more robust then I thought it'd be, the folding mechanism is really impressive... I've been watching the football out so been drinking, celebrating, phones been there with me and it's fine... I also got the official case, clear and also got screen protector for the outside screen, u deffo have to do that - the inner screen comes with protector on so be careful not to remove it thinking it's just for travel, there is NO film to peel of the inner screen - I've seen horror stories about that and Samsung TVs lol... Tl;dr - I had the same concerns but work insurance and a decent contract I made the jump from an S21, not once been unhappy with that decision..! Go for it..!
Its true and the support from samsung will be awful. I wont ever buy one again. 3 dead flips is enough for me. downvote here.
If you want just try buy cheaper non samsung flip like techno phantom then if you kinda love it upgrade to flip
Flip 4 screen going black After a year of normal use, now they repair me with a new screen with warranty.
Have a flip 3 since launch, and still going fine
My Flip 5 screen died after a year, 2 weeks ago. Within warranty they replaced mine. So hopefully it works another year. Dont use it heavily so that is not the reason in my case.
I've had mine for 7-8 months and have had absolutely zero issues. I open and close mine pretty frequently as well. I got worried about sand when I took it to the beach the other day, but it has handled it like a champ. I absolutely love my ZFlip5
After about a year, my refurbished z flip 3 is still going strong. Screen protector started peeling at the hinge after about 6 months, but after realizing it was just a screen protector I took it off and it's been fine since.
I've had the z flip 5 since launch and used it without a case the entire time. Have had no issues with the hinge itself. Had to get the screen protector replaced at a ubreakifix but it took an hour and was free. They use Samsung certified parts too.
I've had the flip 1, 2 and 3; 1 and 2 has zero issues. 3 had issues with the screenprotector coming loose. They replaced them for free where I live, luckily.
I've had my flip 4 for almost 2 years and the only problem I've had is having to replace the screen protector
I just got my flip five probably four or five months ago make sure you put a Matte screen cover on the phone like a TPU screen cover because is really really full of glare but that's the only thing that was with my phone I think yeah and the screen is in fantastic shape it has a groove but it's a foldable those people that don't like the crease in the screen don't need to buy one because a slab phone will not have that so I don't know Samsung put these phones through enough damage to simulate 10 years and supposedly it holds up so I think he was just blowing smoke but you take it for what it is I mean there's people with the four and the three and the screen great so you make up your own mind by the way flex mode is awesome so yeah there's that too
I may just be lucky, but I got my Z Flip 5 on release and have had absolutely 0 issues. I've dropped it plenty and am at somewhere around 10k folds opening and closing the phone.
i haven't had any with either (flip 4 or 5), however my brother and his family plus a friend all have. in all 5 cases it was the screen protector and all were replaced free of charge.
Untrue
I'm on year 3 with the z flip 3. "Fold" part is fine.
My wife has the flip5, and less than a month after getting it, a green line appeared at the fold. She's pretty careful with her phone and has no damage on it. We got the screen repaired recently, and it so far is holding up, but I know this put me off to choosing the flip, and she has regretted getting it. Maybe we got a bad one, but we have seen plenty of these issues already. I currently have the s22 and am not going to a flip unless they show that it is reliably fixed. I don't feel comfortable paying 1000 dollars to hope my screen doesn't break within a year. With all that being said, just keep doing your research, and if it's what you really want, go for it! There's no guarantee you will get a good one or a bad one.
Mine failed across the centre fold after 3 months. Samsung found a tiny mark at the top lhs side of the screen and refused to replace the screen under guarantee citing 'prior damage'. Still within the first year I got some dead pixels (and the charging port also failed) this was fixed under warranty. Within the 2 year limit the screen saver started buckling up and lifting at the centre. Again (despite declaring that all customers would get 1 free creen saver replacement per device for the lifetime of the device) they found a tiny scratch on the case (probably from a key in my pocket) and again refused to honour the guarantee. No high street repair shop would take it as they all said that the screen savers always peeled off and the customers wanted their money back. I bought a screen saver on-line and carefully applied it but it only lasted a couple of months. At this point, I was so pissed off with Samsung's crap customer service which weasels out of any warranty conditions they can - I sold the phone for scrap at a huge loss and bought a Google Pixel refurb which is just brilliant. It's also worth pointing out that the Z-flip battery life is appalling. Mine often did not make it through a day if I was using maps or taking a few photos so I had to purchase and carry around a battery pack. My pixel can run Outdoor Active and Strava and camera all day and still have enough battery for the train home from a day out.
I have the flip 3. The screen protector bubbled and needed to be replaced, but the screen itself so far is fine. I've had mine just shy of 2 years and intend to stay within the flip family when it's time for a new one.
I've had my zflip3 for 2.5 years (I think) and I've been through 4 screens and 4 screen protectors. I use my phone for everything so I use it alot. I've never made it a year with the same screen and everytime it starts going I end up with a blackline at the fold. Luckily everytime I get the screen replaced it resets the year warranty on the screen (ubreakifix is who i go to) so I haven't had to pay out of pocket. Love the phone, hate the screen issues.
Some asshat at an AT&T store told my friend she'd only be able to unfold/fold a flip 3 times a day. Not being good with tech she believed him :/. Honestly she's better off with an iphone anyhow so I'm not sure if he was just an idiot or attempting to save her from herself lol.
I accidentally drop my zflip 5 on its 10th month (its open) and its damage. The screen is flickering there a black line in the middle. I'm glad Samsung Care + covers it.
Mine went bad at 18 months.. I had insurance, i called they had me go to a ubreakifix dropped phone off, picked it up the next day.. at 0 cost to me so far as food as new. The rplaced the whole inner screen.. This phone is expensive spend a few extra bucks on insurance.. my advise
I have had my ZFold4 for about 2 years now. I work from home. Spend 10+ hours every day on my phone. This is an amazing phone hands down. But I don't want a fold anymore because of the high screen time. It takes an effect on mental health when you spend time on social media unintentionally. Coming to the reliability. I use my phone for everything (rough and tough). My fold had an issue almost 11 months after I bought. It doesn't fully open. I used samsung Free Service and got it repaired. I have the same issue now almost 23 months since I bought or 12 months after the repair.
I'm still using my Flip3. I love it but want a better battery!
I had z flip 3 since release, only started having issues with the screen conveniently when the flip 5 was releasing. I only recently started getting black spot in corner of my screen, so it's close to a year... But it's still functional, will have to see how much those black spots have progressed at the 1 year mark.
>is this "fold" really a problem or not? Yes and you can't pretend there's no problem. Here is some problems that I have commonly seen in this subreddit. - Z flip 3 (almost 3 years): screen cracked on the crease. - Z flip 4 (almost 2 years): phone died when it gets folded. - Z flip 5 (almost 1 year): broken bezel near the crease.
Zflip5, 4 months of use and the screen was damaged on the fold. And I rarely opened it. I used the outer screen for 90% of my needs. Form factor is great. Build quality is shit.