Samsung admits display issues with Galaxy Fold, delays release indefinitely
Just days after several reviewers reported display breaking issues on the Galaxy Fold, Samsung has officially postponed the release of its $2,000 worth foldable phone. The South Korean tech giant has acknowledged the issues associated with Galaxy Fold's durability and said that it "will take measures to strengthen the display protection." Samsung will announce the (new) release date "in the coming weeks." Here's more.
The many issues of Samsung's Galaxy Fold
Recently, several reviewers reported major durability issues on their Galaxy Fold review units such as flashing displays, bulges under the screen and huge dead spots. In some cases, removing a plastic film did the damage while in others, the display randomly broke and went blank. Samsung's initial findings showed that these issues could be associated with impact on the exposed areas of the hinge.
Here's what Samsung said in its official statement
"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 said in an official statement. The company noted that it "will take measures to strengthen the display protection."
New launch date to be announced in the coming weeks
To fully evaluate the issues and run further internal tests, Samsung said that it has "decided to delay the release of the Galaxy Fold." However, the company didn't give a definite timeline, and said that it plans "to announce the release date in coming weeks."
Meanwhile, here's recalling the Samsung Galaxy Fold
The Galaxy Fold comes with two displays: a 4.58-inch HD+ (1960x840 pixels) external screen with 21:9 aspect ratio, and a foldable 7.3-inch QHD+ (2152x1536 pixels) Infinity Flex internal display which offers a tablet-like experience. The device features a new hinge system that uses "multiple interlocking gears" to create a fold that is largely concealed. Moreover, the Fold gets a plastic outer casing and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Samsung Galaxy Fold also offers App Continuity, three-app multitasking
To leverage both the screens, Samsung has introduced App Continuity feature which automatically opens the app in the main internal display when you switch to the tablet mode. Further, in the tablet mode, you can run three apps simultaneously for an impressive multitasking experience. Notably, Google is also working to optimize Android OS to support the foldable form factor.
Galaxy Fold packs a total of six cameras
In the folded state, the Galaxy Fold offers a 10MP camera which is housed above the external camera. In the unfolded position, the notch above the internal display houses a 10MP+8MP dual camera setup. Lastly, on the back, the device gets a triple camera setup comprising a 16MP ultra-wide sensor, a 12MP wide-angle sensor, and a 12MP telephoto sensor.
Under the hood
The Galaxy Fold is powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of Universal Flash Storage 3.0 storage. It packs two batteries, one on each side of the hinge, for a combined capacity of 4,380mAh and supports reverse wireless charging as well. The device runs Android Pie, packs AKG-tuned stereo speakers, and supports LTE as well as 5G networks.
