We all knew first-gen foldables were going to face issues, however I don't think any could've foreseen the like of the catastrophic screen destruction currently plaguing Samsung's category debut.
Samsung first began teasing their exciting new ‘foldable' phone (tablet?) back in late 2018, yet when they finally unveiled the device earlier this year at Samsung Unpacked and MWC they were somewhat upstaged by Huawei's flashy and thin Mate X.
Well, now upon the release Samsung is facing a whole new storm as the device's design is revealed to harbor fundamental flaws highlighting just how early – and unready – this folding technology is.
Being reported all across the web are display issues on the Galaxy Fold: from the crease in the centre being very-much visible and worsening over time, to a seeming ‘screen protector' being pre-installed which many have pulled off only to realise it was a necessary part of the display, to the fundamental folding flaw with half the screen flickering and breaking while the centrefold just turns off entirely.
To be fair to Samsung, that second issue is warned against in the always-discarded instructions; but the the others are obviously unacceptable design flaws in any phone let alone a $2000 one.
My best guess for the inherent screen issues is that the display is connected on the right side (with the notch cutout thing) and its wiring is being stretched across the bend when unfurled which causes inconsistent connection or even disconnects thus breaking the crease-screen and the entire left side.
I would then posit that the ‘screen protector' helps alleviate this issue – which Samsung was almost certainly fully aware of -somewhat by putting pressure on the foldable display to help maintain those connections.
At this point, Samsung has commented reiterating for users not to peel off the ‘screen protector', and that the company will be ‘looking into' the situation while the uber-expensive phones continue to be sold.
This marketing catastrophe may remind you of way back in 2017 when Samsung's tragic Galaxy Note 7 became synonymous with explosions and banned items in planes for its temperamental battery, however I must say this problem is far less severe since it affects very few and in no dangerous way; certainly not enough to be announced on planes.
Regardless of the comparative severity though, the problems facing the Galaxy Fold are numerous and unavoidable, and I truly doubt the hardware issues can or will be fixed.
No one should've bought the Galaxy Fold anyway, but needless to say certainly no one should buy one now.
Source and image: Steve Kovach
