Home Gaming Samsung has delayed the launch of the Galaxy Fold worldwide

Samsung has delayed the launch of the Galaxy Fold worldwide

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GalaxyFolds

It’s not been a good week for Samsung, the first major mobile manufacturer to go to market with a foldable phone. Last week, reviewers found the $2000 device to break after just a day or two of use. There’s also a layer of protective plastic that looks just like a cheap factory-fitted screen protector that ought not be removed, but people are removing it anyway, causing the foldable phone to malfunction.

Considering these issues, Samsung has opted to cancel and delay the launch of the Galaxy Fold.

“We recently unveiled a completely new mobile category: a smartphone using multiple new technologies and materials to create a display that is flexible enough to fold,” Samsung said in a statement. “We are encouraged by the excitement around the Galaxy Fold.”

“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.

Initial findings from the inspection of reported issues on the display showed that they could be associated with impact on the top and bottom exposed areas of the hinge. There was also an instance where substances found inside the device affected the display performance.”

Samsung initially canned its launch events in Hong Kong and Shanghai, but has since postponed the launch of the device elsewhere, including the South African launch planned for this week. It seems that the company has some work to do before releasing the Fold. Given their statements, it seems there’s a bit of re-engineering to do.

This will obviously be a disappointment to many who pre-ordered the device, hoping to have a bit of futuristic phone tech in their hands this week. Delaying the launch is probably a good move, because as expensive as it’ll be to fix the Fold, a product recall and the brand damage that would result otherwise would cost significantly more.

Last Updated: April 23, 2019

7 Comments

  1. Guz

    April 23, 2019 at 09:33

    Foldable phone, what could possibly go wrong, how they didn’t pick this up in QA baffles me, especially considering its price

    Reply

    • HvR

      April 23, 2019 at 10:13

      Common QA trap, testing is done in clean lab conditions with a “clever” robotic jig. Hinge probably functioned 100% under lab conditions opening and closing 1000’s of times. Get into the real world with pocket fluff and dust and under estimating what a human user is capable off and the wheels come off faster than you can say “Note 7 recall”.

      Reply

      • Guz

        April 23, 2019 at 10:21

        They were the bomb thou….

        Reply

      • Raptor Rants

        April 23, 2019 at 10:41

        Pretty much this. Robotic testing would fold the phone the exact same way 1000s of times without applying any different force each time. The phone isn’t subject to being carried in a pocket where there are conflicting forces on the device. If you think about it when you walk, your legs are applying a one directional force and your pants or wallet could easily apply an opposite friction force and that would make both sides of the device experience a different force on either side of the flip. Sheer forces basically.

        Put that all together with how people can sometimes treat their devices and you are in for a bad time.

        Reply

  2. Guz

    April 23, 2019 at 09:33

    Foldable phone, what could possibly go wrong, how they didn’t pick this up in QA baffles me, especially considering its price

    Reply

  3. Kromas

    April 23, 2019 at 09:33

    Old School Flip phones also broke a lot. I can’t see these devices lasting long no matter the make.

    Reply

    • HvR

      April 23, 2019 at 10:14

      Jip hinge is always going to be a weak point and the smaller and less prominent the weaker it gets,

      Reply

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