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Foldable smartphones are pretty fascinating, but equally complex to make. Even though the core setup is unchanged from regular smartphones, folding devices have several moving parts on the inside. Moreover, they have their internal components split across the two halves of the phones, connected by cables and ribbons. These phones are something of an engineering marvel. A recent video shared by Samsung gives us a glimpse at the assembly of its latest foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Watch robots assemble and test the Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Flip 5
The seven-minute video shows the new foldables passing through various assembly processes, including the back panel assembly. The devices are handled by robotic arms that are designed to do special tasks during these assembly processes. The robotic arms precisely move the phones across the assembly line in a fixed order. This ensures a smooth and error-free assembly. When assembly is complete, another robot picks the devices up and puts them in a crate. Samsung then takes the foldables to another chamber to check if they are functioning properly.
The automated lab tests are also carried out by robotic arms. The video shows robots dropping the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 from a height to check if the frame, back glass, and everything else hold up to Samsung’s standard. They also test cameras for autofocus and stability while capturing videos. The robots quickly move the phones to check their autofocus capabilities. Stability tests involve shaking the phone when recording a video. These lab tests also check the screen responsiveness, folding strength, device sensors, and more.
Unfortunately, machine tests don’t factor in human behavior. Robots always apply the same pressure on the screen while typing. Likewise, they fold/unfold the devices at the same speed and use the same amount of force every time. This is why YouTuber Mrkeybrd decided to fold the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus by hand until they break. The latter gave out after just about 126,000 folds, but the former carried on until over 400,000 folds. The week-long test also subjected the Samsung foldable to extreme heat, dust, and underwater folding/unfolding for half an hour.
Nonetheless, if you like watching machines and robots assembling tech pieces, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldables, you will find this video interesting (embedded below). Samsung briefly shows some lab tests of the Galaxy Watch 6 series as well. The robotic arms imitate human hands, shaking and lifting the arms to seemingly check the sensors. If you’re looking to buy any of the new Samsung devices, including the Galaxy Tab S9 series, general sales begin tomorrow, August 11. You can still pre-order them for exclusive offers.