Samsung is hitting the brakes on the launch of its folding smartphone, the Galaxy Fold.
Earlier reviewers of the Galaxy Fold found serious issues with the device’s bending display on day 1 of their reviews causing the South Korea-based smartphone manufacturer to delay its rollout until “at least next month.”
Galaxy Fold units were supposed to start shipping to customers on April 26th with units costing $1980 a piece. Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed the delay, but The Wall Street Journal reports that an announcement will come soon. Given that Samsung already delayed the launch in China, it sounds reasonable to that WSJ is right.
The Fold is officially a disaster
The rescheduled launch date for the US reportedly hasn’t been settled on by Samsung executive. Investigations are currently underway within the company to find out what caused some reviewer’s screens to break.
Samsung took some big risks pushing out the Galaxy Fold early and it appears that the might not pay off. The Fold packs a 4.6-inch screen on the front. It can also be unfolded to reveal a tablet-sized 7.3-inch display. Reviewers of the device were impressed by the idea of folding smartphone screens but found the execution to be seriously lacking.
There doesn’t appear to be a common issue among the review units that had screen issues. Some of the reviewers removed a protective plastic film on the display that may have compromised the integrity of the display. Others didn’t remove the film though and still had problems. One reviewer found that something got behind the bend of the display and caused a bulge.
This isn’t the first time Samsung’s ambition to be first to the market has come back to bite in on the ass. The Galaxy Note 7 was rushed to the market early to beat Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It turned out that the device had a serious exploding battery problem and eventually had to be recalled.
The Galaxy Fold fiasco puts Samsung back in hot water with another futuristic gadget that is half-baked.
UPDATE: Samsung released the following statement to CNBC confirming the Galaxy Fold launch will be delayed.
”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. 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.
We will take measures to strengthen the display protection. We will also enhance the guidance on care and use of the display including the protective layer so that our customers get the most out of their Galaxy Fold.
We value the trust our customers place in us and they are always our top priority. Samsung is committed to working closely with customers and partners to move the industry forward. We want to thank them for their patience and understanding.
