Samsung has reportedly completed a two-month redesign of its folding Galaxy Fold handset, after screen defects caused the company to delay its release.
While undoubtedly embarrassing, this will at least allow Samsung to get its next-gen smartphone on the market before the holiday season.
According to Bloomberg, Samsung is currently in the final stages of its Fold project. However, it’s not yet settled on a date for it to go on sale.
Preorders for the Galaxy Fold originally opened on April 12. The device was supposed to go on sale on April 26. But many of the Galaxy Fold units initially loaned to the press failed almost immediately. In the aftermath, Samsung chose to postpone the launch.
The fix Samsung has employed involves a protective film which wraps around the screen to the outer bezel. This reportedly makes it impossible to peel off by hand. (That was a problem with the initial review units.) The company also re-engineered the hinge so it sits flush with the display.
Samsung will soon start shipping the major components for the device to its plant in Vietnam. It will then be assembled, before going on sale. Samsung could unveil the new device at its August 7 event in New York, where it will show the new Note 10 handset.
An embarrassment
The CEO of Samsung Electronics has admitted that the device’s failure has been an embarrassment. “I pushed it through before it was ready,” DJ Koh said, according to The Independent. “I do admit I missed something on the foldable phone, but we are in the process of recovery.”
However, the company isn’t giving up. It’s supposedly also working on a next, larger iteration. This will supposedly work with the S Pen stylus.
While we give Samsung credit for avoiding another Note 7 style debacle, this has still been an unsightly botch. Hopefully the revised edition will show that Samsung’s decision has been the right one. To its credit, many of the initial reviews did say they liked the concept. We’ll have to wait and see if Samsung can deliver on it!
Source: Bloomberg
