Samsung Galaxy Fold’s inner display broken for some reviewers.
A couple of Galaxy Fold units’ display reportedly failed without any apparent reason.
Two units of the phone malfunctioned after peeling off a protective film from the inner display.
Samsung’s first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, was made available for some buyers who pre-ordered the device in the US. The device was also made available to a handful of reviewers and out of them, at least four of them have confirmed that the inner display on their unit has malfunctioned. The Verge’s Dieter Bohn reported of the inner display on their unit failing after a day of standard usage and the same was reiterated by Steve Kovach of CNBC. While Bohn says there seems to be something lodged beneath the foldable phone’s hinge, which is pressing against the display probably causing the failure, there seems to be no such issue with the unit CNBC received.
The screen on my Galaxy Fold review unit is completely broken and unusable just two days in. Hard to know if this is widespread or not. pic.twitter.com/G0OHj3DQHw
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) April 17, 2019
Two other reviewers, the YouTuber MKBHD and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, damaged the inner display on their Galaxy Fold units by accidentally peeling off what seemed like a protective film off from the screen. While some other high-end flagship phones come with a screen protector pre-installed, which can be removed, the one on the Samsung Fold is definitely not meant to be removed.
PSA: There's a layer that appears to be a screen protector on the Galaxy Fold's display. It's NOT a screen protector. Do NOT remove it.
I got this far peeling it off before the display spazzed and blacked out. Started over with a replacement. pic.twitter.com/ZhEG2Bqulr
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 17, 2019
“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,” Samsung’s statement to media outlets states. ”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’s statement on the Galaxy Fold screen issues: pic.twitter.com/9SAQeIpoe3
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) April 18, 2019
The Galaxy Fold is priced at $1,980 (Rs 1.37 lakh approx.). While it is not clear why the inner display actually malfunctioned on these four units after a day of use, it does not bode well for Samsung's newest phones. Apparently some units are said to sport a warning for not peeling the screen protector off, however, there is said to be no such warning on review units. However, the company says that it will go ahead with Galaxy Fold’s April 26 launch in the US, but it remains to be seen how it plans to address the display issue.
Cover image credits: Steve Kovach
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