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Tag: Foldable Phone

  • Samsung Delays Galaxy Fold Launch Events

    Samsung Delays Galaxy Fold Launch Events

    The Galaxy Fold is hitting some snags. It’s been reported that the first-of-its-kind foldable smartphone is having some serious issues with its early review models. Flickering, dying screens, bulges in the hinges and even full internal screen failures have been common with early review models.

    In a reportedly unrelated move, Samsung has delayed two Galaxy Fold launch events. Now its unclear if the Fold will be hitting its shipping dates on time. However, Samsung holds that the delay in the April 23rd and 24th events were delayed due to issues with the venue, not the phone.

    Galaxy Fold Launch Events Delayed

    Casting Doubt

    When the Galaxy Fold was first announced, it was greeted with cautious optimism by smartphone enthusiasts. However, there are now a number of questions being asked about the incredibly expensive folding handset.

    The Galaxy Fold will retail for around $2,000, making it one of the most expensive smartphones ever released. On top of being incredibly pricey and sporting an unusual design, early issues with review models have some people wondering whether the phone will even be worth that price tag.

    Folding Phones

    Some have even gone so far as to question whether folding smartphones are going to work out. The apparent fragility of the phone and its supposed lack of difference from existing Galaxy phones has many enthusiasts worried. Will general consumers even be willing to drop thousands of dollars on a phone that could break so easily?

    Official Word

    The official word from Samsung is that the Galaxy Fold is still on track for its April 26th launch date. While Samsung assures the public that the phones will be moving along at a good clip, many are drawing parallels to the disastrous Galaxy Note 7 launch. During that launch, many people noted their Note 7’s batteries overheating and even catching fire in some cases.

    Time will tell if the tremendously expensive foldable phone, which sports double the screen size in the same space as a normal smartphone, proves popular enough to overcome these early hurdles. Samsung certainly has their work cut out for them convincing the public that the Fold is worth the expense.

  • Early Galaxy Fold Models Experiencing Critical Failures

    Early Galaxy Fold Models Experiencing Critical Failures

    Samsung’s taking a huge gamble with their foldable smartphone. The Galaxy Fold is the first foldable smartphone with a plastic display hitting the market. However, within a few hours of each other, several prominent reviewers had their Fold review models begin experiencing critical screen failures and issues.

    Galaxy Fold Early Woes

    The Errors

    The errors on display have varied by reviewer, but they almost all include issues with the inner screen. The fold has a normal, Gorilla Glass display on the outside. The inside of the phone sports a huge 10-inch screen that folds in the middle, and this is the one experiencing issues.

    Primarily, the issues appear to be related to parts of the screen flickering, blacking out or breaking. One reviewer has a strange bulge under their screen. Another reviewer has one half of their screen blacked out entirely. Yet another has one side of the screen flickering and washing out in strange patterns.

    Crucial Points

    This is a critical point for Samsung. As the first company to hit the market with a foldable phone, all eyes are on them to deliver a top-quality product. With so many reviewers experiencing issues with their early production models, concerns are growing that Samsung’s ambitious phone might be dead on arrival.

    Samsung has stated that they’re aware of the issues the reviewers are having and are sending technicians out in person to review the damage.

    Causes

    It’s unclear what, exactly, is causing the damage to the screens. There is a thin layer of protective film on the inner screen that has is to not be removed. Some of the reviewers removed this film, resulting in the issues. Others, however, didn’t remove it and are still experiencing strange problems with their screens.

    Hopefully Samsung will be able to address the problem with the screens before the first mass production models hit store shelves. For Samsung, if the Galaxy Fold goes down as a buggy, easily-broken mess, then foldable displays might be perceived as an unrealizable fad.

  • Samsung Confirms Folding Phone Coming This Year

    Samsung Confirms Folding Phone Coming This Year

    Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh has confirmed in an interview that we’ll see the company’s long-awaited folding phone this year. That’s right, this very year, 2018. Now, whether we’ll get to actually, you know, buy it, remains to be seen. However, Koh was clear that Samsung plans to unveil the device before year’s end, claiming that it will revolutionize smartphones.

    foldingphone
    Photo Credit: BGR

    Why a Folding Phone?

    During the interview with CNBC, Koh claimed that the device is foldable for many reasons. The first, he stated, is for variation of purpose. “When you need to browse or see something, then you may need to unfold it,” he said. The phone will have number of uses while still folded, however. Tasks like answering calls, texting and the like will be completely doable while folded.

    Speaking on the difference between the foldable experience and tablets, Koh said they were working to make them distinct. “If the unfolded experience is the same as the tablet, why would they (consumers) buy it?” Koh stated. “Every device, every feature, every innovation should have a meaningful message to our end customer. So, when the end customer uses it, (they think) ‘wow, this is the reason Samsung made it’.”

    Our Take

    The foldable design seems unusual, at the very least. We’re not saying we’re going to dismiss it out of hand, but we’re skeptical. While Koh seems convinced that the foldable aspect is distinct from tablets, we’re not so sure. If the folding action is satisfying and the phone works equally well folded and unfolded we’ll be intrigued, at least.

    However, rumors of the folding smartphone have been rumbling about for years. If you’ve been following this technology, it’s been announced and delay no less than four or five times since 2013. The necessary technology to allow a high-resolution display to fold without compromising its structural integrity seems to have been more complex than anticipated.

    Potential Announcements

    In any event, we’re cautiously optimistic about any announcements regarding this technology. That goes double for announcements that would have it being shown off in as short as four months. If the device is to be announced this year, it’ll likely be in November. That’s when the annual Samsung developer conference takes place.

    With Apple leading the innovation in smartphones once again with the iPhone X, this could be a big moment for Samsung. If their folding phone proves to be popular, they could have a chance to pull back in front. The ongoing rivalry between Samsung and Apple has created no shortage of smartphone innovation. We certainly hope this foldable screen technology follows suit!