Major display issues experienced by early reviewers

Apr 18, 2019 06:27 GMT  ·  By

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold is pretty much the most innovative product in a long time for the South Korean company, but at the same time, it could very well become the easiest way to just pour $2,000 down the drain.

As several early reviewers discovered the hard way, the Galaxy Fold can break down after only a few hours, all because its super-fragile display.

First and foremost, the Galaxy Fold ships with what’s believed to be a plastic screen protector, so some of these reviewers actually tried to remove it. This isn’t something unusual for Samsung, as the company also pre-installed a screen protector on the Galaxy S10 as well.

And I totally understand why some wanted to get rid of the screen protector. I tried to do the same thing when I reviewed the Galaxy S10, mostly because the performance of the fingerprint sensor seemed to be impacted by the extra layer added by the protector.

A screen protector that’s not a screen protector

But in the case of the Galaxy Fold, despite looking like a screen protector, it’s actually a plastic cover that’s not supposed to be removed. The bigger problem is that Samsung doesn’t specifically tell users to keep the film in place, only mentioning the following in the user manual:

“The main screen includes a special protective layer. Peeling off the protective layer or using any adhesives on the main screen, such as screen protectors or stickers, may cause damage.”

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman warns this could be a huge problem for consumers unless Samsung makes it clear that this extra layer is not supposed to be removed.

Broken Galaxy Fold screen
Broken Galaxy Fold screen
The screen protector used on the Galaxy Fold
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Others experience what could be described as dead spots, flashing screens, and bulges in the place where the screens should fold. All of these eventually cause the display to die, turning the $2,000 phone into a useless gadget.

Samsung says it’s aware of the issues and emphasizes only a “limited” number of devices is impacted.

“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 says.

“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.”

Photo Gallery (5 Images)

The screen protector isn't supposed to be removed, it seems
Broken Galaxy Fold screenBroken Galaxy Fold screen
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