Engadget warns foldable users to check screens before closing
The outlet’s care advice centres on keeping grit off the inner display and treating fold-count tests as benchmarks, not lifespan promises.
Engadget’s guidance for foldable-phone owners focuses on the inner display, which must bend and can be more vulnerable than conventional phone glass. The most immediate risk is closing the device on debris: cards, coins, keys or sand can scratch or puncture the screen, the outlet reports, citing Samsung’s care guidance.
Engadget advises checking the display before folding the phone shut, particularly where grit may be hard to see. It also recommends avoiding concentrated pressure and resisting the urge to pick at marks with a fingernail; a soft cloth is the suggested way to clean the screen.
The outlet says users should leave the factory-applied inner screen film in place. For replacements and accessories, it advises using only protectors or styluses that the manufacturer lists as compatible with the specific model.
Fold-count testing offers limited assurance about day-to-day durability. Engadget says manufacturers test hinges and screens across roughly 200,000 to 500,000 folds, but those results come from controlled conditions and do not establish an individual device’s lifespan.
The article cites Samsung’s reported 500,000-fold lab result for the Galaxy Z Fold7, while noting that an earlier 200,000-fold claim for the original Galaxy Fold fell short. Engadget recommends treating such figures as benchmarks and checking for debris before each closure.
