Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
The Galaxy Z Fold series might have a hinge defect that's tough to brush off
- Some users have reported that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 refuses to fold completely flat due to a hardware issue.
- It looks like bristles from the internal sweeper brush are getting caught in the phone’s hinge.
- The issue also seems to affect other Galaxy Z Fold devices, according to older user reports.
Samsung has an interesting solution to prevent debris from getting into its foldable phones, as the hinges are lined with broom-like sweeper brushes to effectively block and remove dirt. Now, it turns out that this innovation might be the cause of a serious Galaxy Z Fold 4 issue.
Some users on Reddit (h/t: SamMobile), leaker Evan Blass, and a few X users have reported that they’re unable to fully open the Galaxy Z Fold 4. A few of these users are reporting that the sweeper brushes are to blame.
More specifically, it looks like the bristles and/or the glue used to keep the bristles in place are coming loose over time. The glue and bristles subsequently block the hinge from fully opening.
Redditor ahmed1smael went so far as to open up his own device after Samsung refused to fix it under warranty (citing “a scratch on the hinge”). The user claimed he was able to fully open the device after removing the bristles stuck in the hinge.
Do you have problems with your Z Fold phone's hinge?
One theory seems to be that the brush adhesive melts in hot environments or when the device gets hot for a sustained period of time (e.g. gaming). X user Stephen Amos reported that their Z Fold 4 refused to open fully after the device went near a hot tub.
Meanwhile, Redditor Only_One_Left_Foot claimed that they were playing games for a few minutes and stopped playing when they noticed the device getting hot. “Surprise surprise, the next time I tried to open the screen it got stuck at 90 degrees and had an awful mushy feeling,” the Redditor explained.
This doesn’t seem to be a recent Galaxy Z Fold 4 issue, though, as we can find several user complaints about the bristle/glue issue from at least a year ago.
Does this affect all Samsung foldables?
The problem doesn’t appear to be limited to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, either. After all, every Galaxy Z Fold device since the original Galaxy Fold uses this sweeper brush system in the hinge.
One user in the Reddit thread noted that they had the same problem with the Galaxy Z Fold 3:
I had a similar issue with my Z Fold 3. It stopped opening fully and kept getting tighter until I heard a crack and the inner screen broke. After observing the hinge, I could see the bristles hanging out with adhesive.
However, it looks like there are Reddit posts from affected Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 2 owners going back months and years.
It’s unclear how widespread the issue is. However, the fact that some owners of older Fold devices are experiencing this problem suggests that this isn’t a once-off issue. It’s also not clear whether this problem affects the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Samsung touted a slimmer hinge on its latest foldable phone but didn’t announce any improvements to the sweeper brush.
We’ve contacted Samsung for a statement on the problem and will update the article if/when the company gets back to us. Nevertheless, we hope the company pulls a Microsoft and offers an extended warranty for this specific issue if this is indeed a widespread defect.