Delay unfolds for the Samsung Galaxy Fold

Viewed as a symbol of the future of smartphones, the $1,980 Samsung Galaxy Fold has a lot to live up to – until display problems started to emerge from early review units.

Last April 17, Bloomberg reviewer Mark Gurman tweeted photos of his Galaxy Fold review unit with a broken display.

He also stressed that the protective film atop the screen must not be removed as it works as a protective layer for the phone. He believes that his removal of this layer contributed to the screen becoming unusable. Unfortunately, the review units did not come with a warning from Samsung that indicates that the protective layer must not be removed. Worse, this layer looks like a typical screen protector that reviewers and users generally remove during unboxing.

Tech reviewer MKBHD also experienced a similar mishap when he had also mistaken the thin layer to be a removable screen protector:

T-Mobile’s Desmond Smith later tweeted that the carrier will be shipping with this warning to make sure that users don’t accidentally peel off the protective film:

But protective layer removal aside, two other tech reviewers had malfunctioning units even when they did not remove the protective film.

Dieter Bohn of The Verge noticed a bump under the folded screen. After two days, the bump finally penetrated through the screen which caused the break to occur. However, Bohn did note in an article that they did use a piece of molding clay at the back of phone during a video shoot. Could it be that a small chunk of clay got lodged between the screen and hinge causing a domino effect disaster on the phone? Samsung responded to this incident saying that they will “thoroughly inspect these units.”

On the other hand, Todd Haselton of CNBC tweeted a video of the other half Galaxy Fold’s screen flickering and blacking out.

Days after, Samsung issued a statement: “While many reviewers shared with us the vast potential they see, some also showed us how the device needs further improvements that could ensure the best possible user experience. To fully evaluate this feedback and run further internal tests, we have decided to delay the release of the Galaxy Fold. We plan to announce the release date in the coming weeks.” Following the recent mishaps of tech reviewers, the Galaxy Fold will be delayed for market release indefinitely.

Critics like Ryan Reith may claim that Samsung might have “rushed” this device in hopes to be one of the first companies to unveil a folding phone. Afterall, releasing a foldable phone in today’s vastly saturated smartphone market is a big step into what the future can potentially offer. It is known however that Samsung has been working on foldable displays for years as seen during its CES 2013 demo.

But even though that the Galaxy Fold has been nine years in the making, is it really a fully furnished product already? In a Bloomberg interview, Gurman claimed that the Galaxy Fold is “not a very good phone and it’s not a very good tablet.” YET.

Furthermore, In Dieter Bohn’s Galaxy Fold review on The Verge, he claims that the phone’s 4.6in folded screen is too tall and narrow to use. Since glass isn’t flexible, the Fold’s screen and protector are plastic, which makes the phone more prone to dirt, dust and damage. There’s also the “jelly effect” that occurs during scrolling wherein “one side of the screen scrolls faster than the other side.”

Despite these downturns, Bohn still mentions noteworthy good things about the Galaxy Fold like its long-lasting battery, fast performance, usage comfort when using it unfolded such as watching media and reading, and of course, given as it is a Samsung device, the inner 7.3in display is spectacular.

The Galaxy Fold is a first-generation product into a completely new mobile category, and it is incrementally far from perfect. Major improvements are inevitable, and these changes are a must, given its nearly $2,000 price tag.

The main essence of creating a foldable phone is for manufacturers to provide consumers with a 2-in-1 device that functions both as a regular phone and a tablet. The cherry on top of this tech concept is that a foldable phone will allow for a tablet-sized screen but at the same time give that much of portability like a regular smartphone.

With these unexpected mishaps surrounding the Galaxy Fold, a fully-functioning foldable phone just isn’t ready yet for the market. As the world continues to watch and wait, buyers can source for other alternatives in the meantime. The tech market still has a vast array of Android tablets available, and manufactures in Asia can provide the latest affordable and top-quality tablets and smartphones. Check out Global Sources to start your best sourcing journey today.