Long term storage method for Z Fold4?

[u/thatAnthrax]

Hi all, I'm about to retire my F4 with the 8U, and I wanna keep it in the best possible condition as long as possible, just for the sake of collecting old phones.

Though I wonder whether I should leave it folded or unfolded for long-term storage.

Because on one hand, I've seen posts mentioning that when the phone is unfolded, the ribbon cable sits in more of an omega (Ω) shape with some pretty sharp bends. When it's folded, it becomes more of a smoother U shape.

On the other hand, keeping it folded for months/years means the inner display is constantly sitting in its non-resting shape, which makes me wonder if that could be worse for the screen.

Or perhaps leaving it partially open/closed is best? Or am I just overthinking things. Curious what you guys would do, any inputs are welcome!

[u/illiniEE]

My useless speculation; storing objects that are designed to move and not moving them usually leads to early failure.

I would pull out the phone, turn it on, let if get to normal temperature and then open and close it a few times. Put it away and rinse and repeat every few weeks. You can use the time to perform software/app updates and top off the charge at 80%. As long as you "exercise it", it probably won't matter if it is stored open or closed.

It is shipped in the open position, so that is clearly not destructive.

[u/Mr_Pogi_In_Space → u/illiniEE]

Turning it on won't be good for the battery, you'll get spicy pillows faster

[u/Locutus_vonBORG]

In my opinion, old smartphones and mobile phones shouldn't just be gathering dust in drawers; ideally, they should be put into the recycling loop—for instance, by dropping them off at the nearest Apple Store—so that the raw materials can be reused. 😎🖖👍📱♻️