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Samsung's $2,000 Galaxy Fold Units Are Failing Left and Right With Disastrous Display Issues (androidpolice.com)

Four Samsung Galaxy Fold review units in the hands of major US tech journalists all experienced device-breaking display failures today. AndroidPolice: Steve Kovach of CNBC, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, and Dieter Bohn of The Verge have reported major failures of their phones' display panels, just two days after receiving them. To say this is a disaster for Samsung is probably underselling it. Well-known YouTuber MKBHD claims to be having similar problems, but hasn't posted any images. Bohn and Kovach claim their displays failed without removing the panel's protective film (Samsung says not to take it off), but both Gurman and Brownlee did. The company has yet to begin shipping the device to consumers. So far it has only handed the phone to select journalists, most of whom reported issue with it today.

4 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Don't think display film is key... by SuperKendall · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I saw a few Twtter users partially blaming themselves for removing a protective film that Samsung says you are not supposed to remove...

    For one thing, if it was a layer that users should be removing, don't make it removable like the screen protectors most other phones ship with.

    Secondly, there's no way removing that film would have helped since it seems like failures are often coming from stuff trapped in the hinges that bulges outward into the screen? Regardless screens should not fail so quickly because a protective film is removed.

    I'm having trouble visualizing how these failures happen though, one tweet I saw said something got trapped in the hinge and bulged outward. How could anything get trapped in a hinge that would do that though? Folded the hinge is on the outside, unfolding it just opens the two halves up, I don't see how it could apply mechanical pressure to the screen from the back...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Don't think display film is key... by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As one guy wrote: "I got this far peeling it off before the display spazzed and blacked out." That sounds like pulling of the film wasn't all that easy, and caused the screen to break.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  2. Landscape Mode by rjstanford · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Reports are now coming in that if you rotate them into landscape mode they will start failing top and bottom instead.

    Samsung's already filed for 73 patents in this new and innovative market segment.

    --
    You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!
  3. Be fair by dhaen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It took courage to release this thing. OK it's not quite right yet but they'll learn a lot about how stupid and clumsy people can be. The next model will be great.