Samsung is launching its first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, later this month. Initial hands-on impressions of the handset were pretty positive. But now, one day later, and the plastic display on the inside is already seeing some major issues.
As was reported by AndroidBeat today:
It has not been long since the first impressions of Samsung’s first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, went live. And while the initial reactions appeared to be on the positive side, it appears that many individuals are running into display issues already.
It is being reported by several different outlets that the Galaxy Fold is seeing a major issue with its display. The Verge has one of the reports, outlining that, along the crease when the display is folded open, there is something pressing up against the plastic panel. A bulge of some kind, which could be the hinge itself.
“Look closely at the picture above, and you can see a small bulge right on the crease of my Galaxy Fold review unit. It’s just enough to slightly distort the screen, and I can feel it under my finger. There’s something pressing up against the screen at the hinge, right there in the crease. My best guess is that it’s a piece of debris, something harder than lint for sure. It’s possible that it’s something else, though, like the hinge itself on a defective unit pressing up on the screen.”
Other publications have also come forward to say that their Galaxy Fold review unit is broken in the display. CNBC:
https://twitter.com/stevekovach/status/1118571414934753280
Bloomberg:
The screen on my Galaxy Fold review unit is completely broken and unusable just two days in. Hard to know if this is widespread or not. pic.twitter.com/G0OHj3DQHw
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) April 17, 2019
However, there are also other publications, including The Wall Street Journal, that say their review unit is just fine, but they haven’t taken off the screen protector yet:
So far so good with mine but I haven’t pulled off the screen protector thingy. https://t.co/RJnjRyYz4E
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) April 17, 2019
This is what the screen protector looks like when it’s removed, which is what Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman believes may have contributed to the issue:
The phone comes with this protective layer/film. Samsung says you are not supposed to remove it. I removed it, not knowing you’re not supposed to (consumers won’t know either). It appeared removable in the left corner, so I took it off. I believe this contributed to the problem. pic.twitter.com/fU646D2zpY
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) April 17, 2019
This is a major issue for Samsung, and not just because this is just a day after initial hands-on impressions, or because it’s a $1,980 smartphone. The company itself touted the fact that the Galaxy Fold was able to last for up to 200,000 folds. Whether or not that is actually the case will now be up for debate. At the time of this post going live, Samsung has not offered a statement on the matter at hand.
As noted by The Verge:
“We’ve seen worries about scratches on expensive phones and debris breaking the keyboard on expensive MacBooks, but a piece of debris distorting the screen on a $1,980 phone after one day of use feels like it’s on an entirely different level.”
Our Take
This is not great news for Samsung, a company that is hoping its first foldable smartphone will change the whole smartphone market. The company will hopefully be able to fix whatever the issue is before the handset goes on sale later this month. Not that this phone will fly off the shelves or anything, but these types of problems in a consumer device will not go over well at all.
Update: Samsung has issued an official statement regarding the matter.
[via AndroidBeat; The Verge]A limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples were provided to media for review. We have received a few reports regarding the main display on the samples provided. We will thoroughly inspect these units in person to determine the cause of the matter.
Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen. The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage. We will ensure this information is clearly delivered to our customers.
