Just days after Samsung gave its $2,000 foldable smartphone to reviewers, a troubling number of journalists say their Galaxy Fold units are all jacked up.
Reporters at CNBC, The Verge, and Bloomberg have all tweeted images showing seemingly distinct problems with the Galaxy Fold—although in the last case, the reviewer may have helped fuck up the phone himself.
The phone comes with this protective layer/film. Samsung says you are not supposed to remove it. I removed it, not knowing you’re not supposed to (consumers won’t know either). It appeared removable in the left corner, so I took it off. I believe this contributed to the problem. pic.twitter.com/fU646D2zpY
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) April 17, 2019
“There’s something pressing up against the screen at the hinge, right there in the crease,” wrote The Verge’s Dieter Bohn, describing a problem with the Galaxy Fold review unit he initially received. “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. ”
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1118573836226658304
Perhaps the worst apparent issue, however, was experienced by CNBC’s Steve Kovach, who shared a video of the Galaxy Fold’s screen flickering erratically after “one day of use.” On Twitter, Kovach said he did “nothing” to the phone: “just unfolded it!”
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1118571414934753280
Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee said his Galaxy Fold’s screen died after he, too, tried to peel off the screen film. For what it’s worth, Gizmodo has not had any issues with our review unit so far. But at 2,000 bucks a piece, it’s certainly worrying to see so many problems with the phone so soon. The device is expected to ship to consumers later this month.
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
Update 4/18/2019 8:30 a.m. ET: In a statement to Gizmodo, Samsung pledged to “thoroughly inspect” the Galaxy Fold units returned by reviewers with screen problems to “determine the cause of the matter.” Additionally, the company identified the screen film fuckups as a separate issue, and said it would “clearly” inform customers that the film should not be removed. From Samsung:
A limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples were provided to media for review. We have received a few reports regarding the main display on the samples provided. We will thoroughly inspect these units in person to determine the cause of the matter.
Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen. 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.
