The new Galaxy Fold smartphone/tablet could fast become Samsung’s worst nightmare after models sent out for review ahead of its global roll out literally fell apart.
Earlier this week, Samsung sent out devices to a number of key global media outlets now, the news coming back is not good with the device not able to stand up to testing with the possibility now emerging that the device could be delayed from being launched.
As for the review program, perhaps Samsung now it wishes it hadn’t put the device into some of the toughest phone critics in the world.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman “The screen on my Galaxy Fold review unit is completely broken and unusable just two days in. Hard to know if this is widespread or not”.
The Verge’s Dieter Bohn, SUPER YIKES: something happened to my Galaxy Fold screen and caused a bulge. I don’t know how it happened, and I’m waiting to hear back from Samsung.
He went on to say in a Twitter feed “It’s broken, samsung-galaxy-fold-broken-screen-debris-dust-hinge-flexible-bulge?
In his story he writes ‘Look closely at the picture above, and you can see a small bulge right on the crease of my Galaxy Fold review unit. It’s just enough to slightly distort the screen, and I can feel it under my finger. There’s something pressing up against the screen at the hinge, right there in the crease. My best guess is that it’s a piece of debris, something harder than lint for sure. It’s possible that it’s something else, though, like the hinge itself on a defective unit pressing up on the screen.
It’s a distressing thing to discover just two days after receiving my review unit. More distressing is that the bulge eventually pressed sharply enough into the screen to break it. You can see the tell-tale lines of a broken OLED converging on the spot where the bulge is.
Another device that was seriously affected was one that was sent to CNBC’s Steve Kovach.
After one day of use…
The disastrous review program is a significant setback for the Company who is now facing another marketing disaster similar to their Galaxy Note 7 which was banned from aircraft around the world and then recalled after a faulty battery was exposed.
It appears one explanation for the problems is that some reviewers removed a film that went over the screen, thinking it was the typical protective layer you find on all new smartphones to keep the screen in good condition until you buy it.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman removed his, as did the highly-regarded YouTube reviewer, Marques Brownlee who wrote in a Twitter feed: 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”.
The device the BBC was given taken away by Samsung shortly after filming of the device was finished.
Back in February 2019 ChannelNews picked the device as a potential lemon, the big question now is will Samsung cancel the Australian roll out of the device and the press briefing that is scheduled for May 6th, 2019.
BBC reviewer Chris Fox said the way the screen folded together left a small gap between the device and the display panel that made him nervous about accidents that might occur with small objects.
I personally believe that Samsung are going to have to delay or cancel the roll out of this device which will cost over $3,000 in Australia as the return-rate could be huge. There is no point in being first if you get it wrong – and put out a device that isn’t quite ready as the cost could run to hundreds of millions.
The reviewers having problems insist there’s been no rough-handling of the devices.
“Whatever happened, it certainly wasn’t because I have treated this phone badly,” wrote Mr Bohn at The Verge.
“I’ve done normal phone stuff, like opening and closing the hinge and putting it in my pocket.
