Earlier this year, one of the biggest exciting developments for smartphones was exected to be the advent of folding phones with central displays. However, after the flagship Samsung Galaxy Fold experienced numerous hardware failures during testing, the phone’s April 26th release date was delayed indefinitely. For a time, it was unclear whether Samsung would be shelving the folding phone concept altogether.
Now, we have confirmation of a new release window for the hotly-anticipated phone. Samsung has now promised that the folding phone will be on sale by the end of September. This is a far cry from the predictions we made: earlier, we had predicted that it seemed as though Samsung would discontinue the original Fold altogether and start from scratch. It seems they have faith in their original design, and they claim to have corrected the issues that had plagued test models back in April.
Samsung Course Corrects
Following the announcement of the delay, many tech industry analysts were convinced that the time just wasn’t right for foldable displays. Clearly, if Samsung couldn’t figure it out, how could we expect this tech to take off for anyone? After all, the price point hovers around $2,000, twice as much as the price of the flagship Galaxy 10.
According to Samsung, the issues that were present in the test models have been addressed. Reviewers founds their screens bending and bowing from debris that had worked between the screen and the phone’s backing. Additionally, some people removed a thin film layer, thinking it was a screen protector, only to find it was actually an integral part of the phone and resulting in full screen failure.
Addressing the Issues
So, what has Samsung done to help make the phone ready for a mass release? Firstly, the protective layer has been extended beyond the bezel to make it appear as though it is not something that could be simply removed like a dust cover. Secondly, there are also now reinforcements worked into the phone’s structure to keep debris from wiggling down in there.
Thirdly, there are now metal reinforcements beneath the plastic screen in order to bolster the otherwise-flexible display. Finally, Samsung introduced protective caps to the top and bottom of the hinge mechanism, making it that much sturdier. This also includes reducing the gap between the hinge and the body of the phone, making it that much harder for debris to slip between.
Significance
If they had been unable to resolve the issues with the Galaxy Fold, it would have resulted in a major embarrassment for Samsung. Tech industry analysts had assumed that foldable displays were going to be the next big thing in smartphone design, so Samsung’s inability to stick the landing came as a shock. Had they been unable to deliver, it would have allowed room for another company, like Motorola, to swoop in and steal their thunder.
With the newly-announced release window, confidence in the brand and the folding display experiment has been renewed. This is a big step for Samsung, and will likely be the biggest move for the company since they first unveiled their Galaxy line over a decade ago. The question remains whether the public will be eager to embrace a $2,000 phone that now has a reputation for being easy to break.
Release Details
At the time of this writing, there’s no definitive release date for the Samsung Galaxy Fold. However, we would expect to see it sometime in mid-September to compete with Apple’s new offerings this year. The phone will retail for $1,980, making it far and away the most expensive smartphone in Samsung’s lineup and nearly double the cost of most premium flagship phones. Time will tell if the phone is the seismic shift that analysts expect.