It may seem like a lifetime ago but think back to when, in 2016, Samsung had to recall the Note 7 due to units overheating and catching on fire. Many thought the disaster would tarnish the company’s reputation and the Note brand would be discontinued. But it is now three years later and Samsung is coming up on the Galaxy Note 10 release, meaning that the brand has not fallen off the face of the earth and is still widely regarded as one of the top flagship phones.
Samsung Galaxy Fold phone in Phone mode from the Samsung YouTube Channel Unveiling Video
Samsung is now working on releasing a new, more revolutionary phone called the Galaxy Fold. The Samsung Galaxy Fold was created to be the phone of the future. It merges tablet and phone together, allowing you to view from a 7.3-inch tablet display or fold the device in half so you have a 4.6-inch front display. And to avoid mechanical issues in the field, Samsung said they tested the folding mechanism on the phone for up to 200,000 folds. But this phone is also experiencing issues: though it is not catching on fire and literally endangering the lives of those around it, the failures are catastrophic from a user experience all the same.
or fold the device in half so you have a 4.6-inch front display. And to avoid mechanical issues in the field, Samsung said they tested the folding mechanism on the phone for up to 200,000 folds. But this phone is also experiencing issues: though it is not catching on fire and literally endangering the lives of those around it, the failures are catastrophic from a user experience all the same.
So what issues are Galaxy Fold users experiencing? Review units were provided to various techies and all initially seemed well. Then one-by-one, reviewers came out with related issues for the phone. Some reviewers, such as The Verge, experienced some type of bulge in the screen. The most popular theory thus far is that debris has been produced by the hinge in the phone and migrated under the screen.
Another, even more major issue, has presented itself. The Samsung Galaxy Fold is manufactured with a laminated layer that is meant to protect the screen and is made to not be removed from the phone. However, some of the current reviewers have been ripping this protective layer off their phones. If these reviewers (many of which have advanced technical knowledge) have been peeling off this layer, how can Samsung expect the average user to not do the same?
Samsung Galaxy Fold Phone in tablet mode from the Samsung YouTube Channel Unveiling Video
It was apparent that Samsung thought that more work had to be done in order to ensure a successful launch of the product as they delayed the launch of the product and cancelled the ability to place pre-orders at Best Buy and AT&T on June 13, 2019.
More news was recently given in Seoul, South Korea by the CEO of Samsung, DJ Koh. The Independent had stated that Koh said the launch “… was embarrassing. I pushed it through before it was ready.” I personally have a lot of the respect for a CEO that is willing to admit their own mistakes. Especially one that was pushing the smart phone form factor to a new level and taking a risk in the process.
While this has all been bad news for Samsung, they have recently stated that their redesign of the phone was complete after having gone back to the drawing board. This is good news for the company in trying to salvage their foldable ambitions. While the design is complete, an official new launch date has yet to be announced for the device. Hopefully the redesign will eliminate the issues the original devices had while not introducing any new issues into the fold.