maximumpc.com MAY 2020 MAXIMUM PC 45
BACKGROUND
Samsung proudly touted its hot new Galaxy Z Flip’s folding
glass display and the “layer of fibers” built into its hinge at
the company’s Unpacked event. We managed to get hold of
one, and now it’s time to put it to work—for a teardown.MAJOR TECH SPECS
- 6.7-inch foldable ultra-thin-glass AMOLED Display, 21.9:9
aspect ratio, 2636x1080 pixels (425ppi) - 2.95GHz, 64-bit, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC
- 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage
- 3,300mAh of battery power in two cells
- Two rear cameras, both 12MP, one ƒ/1.8 wide-angle and
one ƒ/2.2 ultra-wide; one 10 MP ƒ/2.4 selfie cam - “Sweeper technology” made up of a layer of fibers inside
the “Hideaway Hinge” to repel dirt and dust
KEY FINDINGS
- Open the Z Flip, and you’ll spot the crease in the display.
That glass sure creases like plastic; looks like it scratches
like plastic, too! It’s not as durable as Gorilla Glass. - Samsung says that the Z Flip’s hinge-sweeping “brushes”
use nylon fibers to repel dust, but when you turn it on, you
get a litany of warnings. So, we introduce our Flip to some
bright purple dust. After a few seconds of heavy dust
exposure, opening the phone results in horrible popping
noises and a hinge that’s frozen solid. - We remove both rear covers and spot purple dust peeking
out from under the wireless charging coil. Peeling up the
coil reveals a powdery reminder that you should believe
warning text more than marketing hype. - The Flip packs a dense, double-stacked motherboard. We
first saw this space-saving technology in the iPhone X. It
makes life harder for board repair experts, but also packs
a lot of chips into a tiny space. - We remove the two batteries. The larger one is limited to a
typical capacity of 2,370mAh and 9.15Wh, with the smaller
battery sporting 930mAh and 3.59Wh. All that adds up to
12.74Wh, about on par for flagship smartphones. Stubborn
glue secures both batteries, as per usual. - Mild heat and careful prying gradually release the display
from its frame. The glue is forgiving, but it’s far too easy to
accidentally separate the display’s layers. The top layer is
plastic, which sort of defeats the purpose of a “glass”
display. You can tell the middle layer is glass because of
the way it shatters when we poke it. Oops. - Peeling back the hinge’s “protective” tape reveals the
highest concentration of purple dust. Looks like the tape
kept the dust away from the display but held it in the hinge. - Repairability: 2 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair).
A single Phillips driver takes care of all the screws.
Many components are modular and can be replaced
independently. Glued-down glass panels are an
unnecessary barrier to entry for repairs, especially
given the phone’s lack of ingress protection. Battery
replacements are possible, but unnecessarily difficult
due to poorly routed cables and the lack of stretch-
release adhesive. The components involved in the folding
process are likely to wear over time, necessitating
eventual replacement.
This month, we’re
taking a knife
to the Samsung
Galaxy Z Flip.Alcohol and careful prying are
required to fetch the batteries out.