Z Fold 7 hinge in spotlight as shoppers say display units not opening completely flat

Samsung’s newly launched Galaxy Z Fold 7 is facing early scrutiny after multiple shoppers reported that demo units at retail stores aren’t opening completely flat. The issue has sparked conversations online about whether this represents a potential problem with the device’s redesigned hinge mechanism.

The concerns first surfaced on Reddit, where a user shared a photo showing a Z Fold 7 display unit with a noticeable bend despite appearing to be fully opened. The image shows the device maintaining a slight fold rather than achieving the flat profile users expect from Samsung’s latest foldable.

“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 in their post.

Several other shoppers chimed in with similar observations from stores like Best Buy, though not everyone reported the same experience. Some users mentioned that display models at their local stores opened completely flat without any issues.

The inconsistency in reports suggests this might be limited to specific demo units rather than a widespread manufacturing defect. Android Central and Android Authority both report that their review units open completely flat without any problems.

One Reddit user provided additional context, explaining that the device requires slightly more force to open completely and doesn’t quite reach a full 180-degree angle. “Also, it doesn’t hit full 180, more like 178-179 degrees. I put it face down on the counter, and there was barely any gap in the middle,” they explained.

Samsung completely redesigned the hinge mechanism for the Z Fold 7 to achieve the device’s impressively thin 8.9mm profile. The new Armor FlexHinge features an enhanced water droplet design that allows the display to fold with a larger internal radius, which should reduce the visibility of the screen crease.

The company claims the new multi-rail structure distributes stress more evenly across the foldable screen, while Advanced Armor Aluminum construction boosts overall strength. However, display units in stores face continuous handling from multiple customers, which could accelerate wear and tear.

For context, Samsung’s “zero-gap” hinge technology typically allows devices to open between 178.5 and 181.5 degrees when fully extended. The previous Z Fold 6 was rated for over 200,000 open and close cycles, though Samsung hasn’t yet released official durability specifications for the Z Fold 7.

At this point, it’s unclear whether the reported issues represent actual defects, normal wear from heavy demo use, or user error in not fully opening the devices. Given the traction this has gotten in the past few hours, Samsung might just issue a statement to clarify the situation. We’ll have to wait and see.

That said, this isn’t the only thing fans are buzzing about. We recently also highlighted how hundreds, if not thousands, of Fold users are unhappy with Samsung’s decision to drop S Pen support on the Fold 7. So it seems Samsung has a few areas of improvement for upcoming foldable phones.