AppleInsider Staff
After an embarrassing delay, Samsung on Wednesday announced its first folding smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, will launch this September after undergoing a redesign to account for screen reliability issues.
The Korean tech giant in a post to its website said the device will be ready for sale in September after missing a rollout originally set for April. The new timeline puts the foldable handset in direct competition with Apple's iPhone, new versions of which are expected to debut that same month.
According to Samsung, the new and improved Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer that has been extended beyond the bezel, making it "apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed." A number of early reviewers attempted to remove the layer thinking it was a screen protector, a user error that broke the smartphone's flexible OLED panel.
Special reinforcements like "protection caps" have been added at the top and bottom hinges and are designed to keep particulates out of sensitive areas, while additional metal layers beneath the Infinity Flex Display help strengthen the mechanism, the company said. Further, the space between the hinge and the device chassis has been reduced.
The tweaks should help alleviate problems impacting pre-release review units that went out to select news outlets and media influencers in April. Reliability issues were among the early complaints, with many noticing a distinct crease appear along the hinge line of the 7.3-inch OLED panel after repeated folding and unfolding. Some users noted corrupted graphics that in some cases rendered part, one half or the entire panel completely non-functional.
Following multiple reports of screen failures, graphics problems and other issues, Samsung decided to push back a consumer launch as it assessed the situation.
Samsung's announced enhancements are in line with previous rumors about the Fold's redesign.
In addition to hardware enhancements, Samsung has worked to optimize more apps for the unique foldable display.
Samsung Electronics CEO D.J. Koh earlier this month admitted the Fold was introduced prematurely.
"It was embarrassing. I pushed it through before it was ready," Koh said in a statement. "I do admit I missed something on the foldable phone, but we are in the process of recovery."
An official launch date will be announced in the coming weeks.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
51 Comments
So they're gonna try to launch it along side the next iPhone then? We'll see how that works out.
Everyone interested (party of one on this forum) should wait to see if reviewers get their hands on it and how they rate it before deciding to dive in.
I don't see this as an iPhone competitor. Sure, you can only use one smartphone at a time, but people who are willing to buy this either are collectors who have more than enough funds to also buy an iPhone or simply aren't Apple customers to begin with. Even without their initial failure and setback the unit sales were going to be poor for this product.
Ah, September.
Is that after October?
I’m so looking forward to this launch and the months following. It will break again in the hands of consumers. And again and again. And for those who don’t have mechanical issues with the beast, they will have in their hands a too small phone display when folded and a too square tablet when unfolded. A compromised product design in a market where a product’s physical design has for years been touted as essential to success. Good luck, Sammy. You’re gonna need plenty.