Samsung Galaxy Fold delayed following reports of screen failure

The last week has been a bit of a roller-coaster for Samsung. The first review units for the Galaxy Fold began going out, prompting reports of broken displays. Samsung was quick to address this but it seems that the problem was bigger than initially thought, forcing the company to delay the Galaxy Fold at the last minute.

Last week, review units of the Galaxy Fold began failing, with half of the display failing after limited use. Beyond that, there were concerns about the warning that comes with the Galaxy Fold, telling users that any form of adhesive screen protector could cause damage to the display. This is Samsung's debut foldable device, coming after years of R&D, beyond that, the consumer version is going to cost $2,000. In all, things haven't gotten off to a great start.

At first, Samsung said that these display failure issues were limited to a small number of sample units. However, yesterday Samsung took steps to delay launch events for the phone and eventually pushed back the launch entirely, stating:

“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 will now “take measures to strengthen the display protection”.

The Galaxy Fold will receive a new release date within the next few weeks. At that point, we will know how far the device has been pushed back.

KitGuru Says: The Galaxy Fold is an interesting device that we have been following through rumours and leaks for several years now. It is disappointing that Samsung's first consumer-facing attempt fell flat before making it out of the door. Still, it is better to find this stuff out early, rather than after the full launch. Hopefully that new release date doesn't end up being too far off.

Become a Patron!