Samsung recently assured users that the Galaxy Fold is still very much alive and that it is committed to fixing the issues. However, the company did not explain how it plans to fix the Galaxy Fold issues. Now a South Korean site has listed the changes Samsung is making to the foldable phone.
How Samsung plans to fix Galaxy Fold issues?
Yonhap News reports that Samsung is tucking the screen’s protective layer into the body of the phone. Such a change will make the protective layer part of the body instead of appearing like an add-on screen protector.
Hopefully this will prevent users from accidentally or even intentionally peeling it off. A few early reviewers said they removed the protective layer from their phone thinking it was a temporary layer. Samsung cautioned later that the layer is a crucial part of the screen and must never be removed.
Earlier there were talks that Samsung would put instructions for users not to remove the protective layer for any reason. It now appears the company has realized that putting a warning is not enough, and users might still accidentally remove the layer.
Yonhap also reports that Samsung is covering or reducing the gaps at the top and bottom of the hinge, thus preventing debris from breaking the display. The news outlet also says Samsung is planning to put more warnings and safety statements on the Galaxy Fold to educate users on how to handle this new form factor.
If the report is true, then to fix the Galaxy Fold issues, Samsung is directly addressing the problems pointed out by early reviewers. Whether or not these fixes will be enough to ensure the durability of the Galaxy Fold is not known for now. It also remains to be seen if these fixes or others are enough to convince buyers to purchase a $2,000 device.
Galaxy Fold: The story so far
Yonhap claims Samsung is currently testing the Galaxy Fold on Korean networks. The news site expects the foldable phone to arrive next month.
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold was supposed to launch in the U.S. on Apr. 26 and a week later in Europe. However, following the reviews by early users who said their device broke or started malfunctioning just a day or two after use, Samsung postponed the release.
“To fully evaluate this feedback and run further internal tests, we have decided to delay the release of the Galaxy Fold. We plan to announce the release date in the coming weeks,” Samsung said in a statement last month.
iFixit also released a review of the device. The teardown specialists seemingly figured out the design defect with the Galaxy Fold. However, they quickly took down their review after pressure from Samsung.
To explain why they removed the teardown, iFixit said it received the Galaxy Fold from a trusted partner and that Samsung requested the takedown through that partner.
“We are under no obligation to remove our analysis, legal or otherwise. But out of respect for this partner, whom we consider an ally in making devices more repairable, we are choosing to withdraw our story until we can purchase a Galaxy Fold at retail,” iFixit said.
The Korean firm later took back all the review units, saying it would further improve the display protection.
Then earlier this month, Samsung sent emails to those who pre-ordered the device, asking them to confirm their orders. The Korean firm said in the email that unconfirmed orders will automatically be canceled on May 31.
Last week Samsung’s mobile head DJ Koh told The Korea Herald that the company studied the defects and will soon decide on a launch date. Samsung “has reviewed the defect caused from substances [that entered the device], and we will reach a conclusion today or tomorrow [on the launch],” Koh told the newspaper.
When he was asked if Samsung would be able to launch the Galaxy Fold in the U.S. in May, the executive didn’t give a clear answer but said, “We will not be too late.” This could mean a launch in May.
Now that Yonhap News claims the issues are resolved, hopefully we will soon see Samsung announce new release dates for the Galaxy Fold.
