Over the last few weeks, US tech sites and influencers have been showing off their Samsung Galaxy Fold review units and we’d be lying if we said we weren’t jealous.
Putting our jealousy aside for a moment, it appears as if the Fold isn’t as hardy as some of Samsung’s other handsets and reports are coming in that the folding display is breaking.
The Verge’s Dieter Bohn has detailed one experience where a piece of debris or a faulty hinge appeared beneath the inner display of the Fold (the display which actually folds) eventually causing the display to break.
https://twitter.com/backlon/status/1118726062089953281
Excellent use of Kenny Rodgers’ The Gambler aside, this is rather worrying.
When I had a hands-on with the Fold back in February I noticed a sizeable gap where the two inner displays meet where debris could work its way inside the handset. It appears as if this is the case with Bohn’s handset but that is unconfirmed at this stage.
Bohn is not the only person having issues with his Fold, a number of other reviewers took to Twitter to share their faulty Folds. The trouble with this however is that the damage is largely self-inflicted.
The reason we say this is that there is a layer atop the folding display that looks like the temporary screen protector that most handsets ship with that we remove when unboxing our handsets. Trouble is that this screen protector should not be removed as YouTuber Marques Brownlee discovered.
PSA: There's a layer that appears to be a screen protector on the Galaxy Fold's display. It's NOT a screen protector. Do NOT remove it.
I got this far peeling it off before the display spazzed and blacked out. Started over with a replacement. pic.twitter.com/ZhEG2Bqulr
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 17, 2019
Reports suggest that retail versions of Fold will carry a warning to remove the protective layer on the inner display. It appears as if this warning was not included with review units.
“The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage. We will ensure this information is clearly delivered to our customers,” Samsung told The Verge.
Going back to Bohn’s issue however, we’re more than slightly concerned about the Fold. If debris is able to get between the display and internals causing damage, perhaps the design of the fold needs to be relooked.
That having been said, this is the first device of its kind from Samsung and there are bound to be teething issues. Whether buyers are willing to accept these teething issues when the Fold costs $1 980 Stateside (still no official price in South Africa).
