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$2,000 Galaxy Fold breaks after just a day (video)
The Galaxy Fold has been generating loads of hype with its cutting-edge bending display. With release date soon approaching, fans are eagerly awaiting early verdicts on the soon-to-be flagship of flagship phones.
Well, the news they’ll be getting might not be so pleasant to hear. As it turns out, several news outlets received test units from Samsung with significant hardware issues. Not only are the phones’ screens failing to work properly, but their build quality is leading some users to accidentally tear their own phones apart.
How is this revolutionary product already fumbling their launch? Are the review units just a bad batch?
You’ll be surprised at why the devices are failing the way they are. We’ll also go over what you can do to protect your new Galaxy Fold once you get your hands on it.
Galaxy Fold review units have multiple screen issues
Press outlets recently received review units of the Galaxy Fold courtesy of Samsung. While many of these reviewers gave praise to the Fold and Samsung for a high-quality product experience, much of the praise evaporated once several units started malfunctioning — some after as little as a day or two of use!
Most of the reviewers report flickering displays on one or both sides of the unit. Some have also complained of unsightly bulges forming near the bottom of the Fold, although they are unsure if this is merely debris caught in the device’s geared hinge or something more sinister.
In response to reviewer complaints, Samsung has vowed to “thoroughly inspect these units” prior to launch.
This included screen protector CANNOT be removed
Some reviewers were able to identify the cause of their screen issues — user error! Unexpectedly, the Galaxy Fold ships with a thin plastic screen over the device’s flexible display. To the untrained eye, this looks almost identical to screen protectors included with many other phones, such as iPhones and other Galaxy devices.
The “screen protector,” however, is nothing of the sort. Apparently, this protector helps seal the screen from external contaminants such as dust and debris. Since the phone is flexible, even a small particle can cause the display to fizzle out.
Samsung includes a warning not to remove the “polymer layer,” as it’s calling it, right on the packaging of the Galaxy Fold. Some reviewers, it seems, didn’t read the instructions. Since many of them are used to peeling off protectors that come with other products, some reviewers accidentally destroyed their new Folds without even realizing it.
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
This is a good test for Samsung, though: if reviewers won’t read the instructions, customers probably won’t either.
If you have a Galaxy Fold coming your way, don’t forget to read the instructions and, whatever you do, don’t remove the screen protector! Your Fold will thank you for it.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold releases April 26th, 2019. Hopefully there is enough time to get everything right for the launch.
Tags: devices, film, video, X (Twitter)
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