While clever in theory, an increasing number of user complaints across multiple Galaxy Z Fold generations indicate these brushes can become dislodged over time. Free bristles and adhesive remnants then become trapped in the hinge itself, preventing the phones from folding completely flat.
One Galaxy Z Fold 4 owner documented on Reddit (found by SamMobile) how bristles and glue had accumulated enough to physically block the hinge from closing correctly. After painstakingly clearing the obstructions, the device could again open and close with its usual seamless motion. However, in dismantling the unit themselves, they removed Samsung’s intended protection against future internal contamination.
The Fold 4 issue appears far from an isolated incident either. Aside from similar reports on the same model in the same Reddit post, another frustrated Redditor said that their Fold 3 eventually never opened completely, which then kept leaking some sticky, goo-like material whenever it was opened or closed.
Despite these troubling accounts across multiple generations, Samsung is reluctant to acknowledge the Sweeper Technology as an inherent design defect. Unfortunately, this has been the company’s trend whenever dealing with potentially “frivolous” minor claims, even if given sufficient visual evidence.
Innovation Gone Awry
While brushes help prevent larger particles from infiltrating the fragile hinge area, finer dust and lint can still pass through. Simultaneously, the bristles appear to degrade and break down over their functional lifespan. Issues seem particularly prevalent when the phones operate at higher temperatures, potentially causing the bristle adhesive to soften and detach (sounds familiar?).
When Samsung first unveiled Sweeper Technology on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the company likened its clever particle-deflecting approach to that used in its vacuum cleaners. In practice, however, the seemingly elegant solution may have introduced a new potential point of failure that plagues Samsung’s otherwise impressive folding devices.
Do Fold 5 Owners Need to be Concerned?
Thankfully, Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 seems to have evaded the hinge defect so far. We’re unsure if there were redesigns to the sweeper technology or if it abandoned the feature entirely. Regardless, there haven’t been any similar complaints just yet, eight months after its official release in 2023, at least not at the level and frequency of the older Fold models.
Even with Samsung’s push on foldables as its most innovative product line, the hinge defect potentially demonstrates that even these ideas can have unforeseen pitfalls, especially when it comes to mass-manufacturing complex mobile devices on a global scale. If the issue has indeed been silently resolved for the Fold 5, then that’s good news for the early adopters.
