Samsung’s new £1,800 foldable smartphone has one problem.
According to some users, it breaks when you fold it.
That’s what a group of top technology journalists found when they were sent review copies of the Galaxy Fold.
It all started well…
It folds. https://t.co/oWkhvuBqKE— Joanna Stern (@Joanna Stern) 1555335289
But it didn’t take long for journalists to start reporting problems.
The screen on my Galaxy Fold review unit is completely broken and unusable just two days in. Hard to know if this i… https://t.co/tvECygQgFN— Mark Gurman (@Mark Gurman) 1555523909
The Galaxy Fold is a big risk for Samsung and the company are asking customers to commit a lot of money to the groundbreaking product.
Having it break in front of some of the most influential technology journalists is basically a PR team's worst nightmare.
One explanation for the problems is a protective screen on the Galaxy Fold, which some reviewers thought they could remove.
PSA: There's a layer that appears to be a screen protector on the Galaxy Fold's display. It's NOT a screen protecto… https://t.co/oEJqvTwL79— Marques Brownlee (@Marques Brownlee) 1555525341
But not everyone was sent the warning about the screen, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
This wasn’t on the review units - not that I saw. Several other reviewers didn’t have it either. https://t.co/QG9eoiCF1W— Mark Gurman (@Mark Gurman) 1555550884
And some reviewers still had problems, even with the protective screen.
Damn.
In response, Samsung released a statement saying it would look into the problem.
The company wrote:
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.
Samsung also said they are still planning on launching the phone on 26 April in the US.
That’s just over a week away, which is a pretty tight deadline if the phone… doesn’t work.
And it doesn’t help that there are a lot of people who are expecting the Galaxy Fold.
Lol. https://t.co/RKFAHXts2F— Brad Sams (@Brad Sams) 1555524636
It all looks pretty bad for Samsung.
Microsoft: a computer on every desk. Apple: a computer in every palm. Samsung: a $2,000 strobe light. https://t.co/rlwLwMoMur— Aaron Levie (@Aaron Levie) 1555553554
@stevekovach https://t.co/CNov2Uud2T— Jason Lim (@Jason Lim) 1555524817
But, while it’s funny that a £1,800 phone doesn’t seem to work, some people were hoping the problems don't sink the product.
Re: Galaxy Fold screen issues - don’t root for tech to fail. Samsung took a chance so let’s hope it’s not widespread 🤞🏼— Jonathan Morrison 🙋🏻♂️ (@Jonathan Morrison 🙋🏻♂️) 1555527314
If the Galaxy Fold is fixed by next week, someone is going to have work a lot of overtime to get it done.