Samsung Galaxy Fold’s screen failure leads to an indefinite delay in its launch

After multiple display failures of the review units of Samsung Galaxy Fold sent by the company to members of the tech press, the company has confirmed that it is postponing the release of its foldable phone. The news comes in as a surprise as the $2,000 (approximately Rs 1,39,500) Galaxy Fold was about to go on sale tomorrow onwards in the United States. Although Samsung had said that it wants the device to be of ‘high standards’ and it said that it will be releasing the Galaxy Fold ‘in the coming weeks’, industry experts believe that the device’s release may take some more time.

Samsung confirmed the news about the indefinite delay of its Galaxy Fold in a statement that read, “We want our customers to have the best experience possible which is why, after initial feedback, we have decided to delay the release of the category-changing Galaxy Fold to make sure it measures up to the high standards we know you expect from us. We plan to announce the [new] release date in the coming weeks.”

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Samsung Galaxy Fold won’t be made available for purchase until May. The company also replied to a customer who pre-ordered the device that he can expect a revised update on shipping details in two weeks (most probably in the first week of May). Although the company is saying that the Galaxy Fold will be brought out in May, but industry critics, reviewers and veterans have other thoughts in mind.

It should be noted that before officially being released to the markets, Samsung had given few of the Galaxy Fold units to reviewers. But they soon started having issues with the display of the device, and in most of the cases the display stopped working altogether. Some units of the device broke when the reviewers tried to pull out the ‘protective layer’ from the screen. Most of the reviewers reported problems with their units and most had problems with the screen itself. And seeing how gung-ho Samsung was about the Galaxy Fold, it seems it is a big failure on the company’s part after the exploding Galaxy Note 7.

Speaking about Samsung Galaxy Fold, the company said, “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 also said that it “will take measures to strengthen the display protection.” It is being speculated that the Galaxy Fold won’t be coming out anytime soon. But even now, the company is saying to the customers who pre-ordered the device, “Your pre-order guarantees your place in the queue for this innovative technology.”

About the device’s fragile screen Samsung said, “We will also enhance the guidance on care and use of the display including the protective layer so that our customers get the most out of their Galaxy Fold.”

Delaying the launch of the Galaxy Fold is the right move by Samsung because even though the device will now reach customers on a later date than expected, it would not come with issues that the reviewers of the handset faced. Samsung Galaxy Fold is a very expensive and premium smartphone and anyone spending that kind of money would expect top-notch performance from it.

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