A mere look at the petite side of the Samsung’s latest clamshell folding phone, the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, it’s easy to see why many people are left to ponder if the phone may at all survive any accidental drop without ever causing the device to shutter.
Luckily, things turned out a little different for us following a clumsy phone slip out of my hand while out on a jog with a friend, and taking pictures along the road.
As the phone landed on the ground, I shuttered to think about the level of damage it may have incurred, but to my surprise, and excitement at the same time, the device had no major damage whatsoever. No cracked screen or any noticeable scratch, except for a small, invisible dent in the left one corner of the phone.
Gorilla Glass Victus, the godsend feature hailed for Z Flip3’s durability
While a lot has been said about the Galaxy Z Flip3 predecessor being prone to breakage, the incident may as well be another way to assure us that the new generation of foldables aren’t as fragile as they are believed to be. With this range, it sure was in the best interest of Samsung to address customers’ concerns from the previous range. Entered Corning’s latest innovation, Gorilla Glass Victus, which did that and more; which now begs the question: what exactly did Corning do different this time around, ensuring that both the Z Flip3 and its pricier premium sibling, Galaxy Z Fold3, are among the toughest, rugged phones of 2021/2022?
As Corning’s senior vice president John Bayne, previously explained to US tech news site CNET, instead of focusing on a single goal – making the glass better for drops – as it was the norm, the focus this time was on advancing both drop and scratch, and the end result was Gorilla Glass Victus. This essentially explains why this tough gadget glass, which can reportedly survive a six-foot drop, as well as shrug off those nasty key and coin scratches in your bag, has adorned every major tech brand you can think of, including Apple.
The Gorilla Glass Victus, we learnt, is twice the scratch resistance of the 2018 Gorilla Glass 6, and up to four times stronger than competitive aluminosilicate glasses adorning several well-known devices.
Notably, my all-time favourite Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was the first to arrive rocking Victus back in August 2020.
Galaxy Z Flip 3; Overall improved performance
Furthermore, according to Corning, it takes two specific factors for the glass to fail: a scratch and a fall. That’s likely why in our case, the phone didn’t break. It also helped that the phone was already folded when it slipped and landed on the ground, meaning its novel folding body helped by protecting the glass from damage.
So if you ever doubted that this new generation of foldables from Africa’s most admired tech brand are not sturdy enough to become mainstream due to either safety or durability concerns, think again.
After all, the device is already selling like hot cakes, all thanks to Corning’s newly minted Gorilla Glass Victus for improved scratch-resistance, new waterproofing and the newly trademarked Armor Frame for sturdier hinges.
For more info or placing an order, visit Samsung South Africa website here.
- NB: Featured images of the actual phone (Galaxy Flip3) taken by NOWinSA with the Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
