Samsung has announced today that it has made “improvements” to protect the Galaxy Fold’s screen and will begin selling the folding phone soon. Four months after the company delayed the retail launch of the phone, Samsung now says the Galaxy Fold will be available for purchase at an unspecified date in September. Samsung has confirmed the price will remain the same as before: $1,980.
Here’s what Samsung says it has changed on the new version of the Galaxy Fold:
The top protective layer of the Infinity Flex Display has been extended beyond the bezel, making it apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed.
Galaxy Fold features additional reinforcements to better protect the device from external particles while maintaining its signature foldable experience.
The top and bottom of the hinge area have been strengthened with newly added protection caps. Additional metal layers underneath the Infinity Flex Display have been included to reinforce the protection of the display. The space between the hinge and body of Galaxy Fold has been reduced.
Extending the “protective layer” is maybe the most important thing Samsung could have done, as many reviewers thought it was a screen protector and tried to peel it off, damaging the screen. The “additional reinforcements” to protect against “external particles” is likely to prevent the issue we experienced on our own review unit — we suspect debris got in through the hinge and damaged the screen from behind. The same may go for the reduction of the space between the hinge and the body.
The new version is the one in front, positioned below the old one. There’s an extra piece inside the hinge, which would likely prevent debris from getting in and wedging itself under the screen:
And here’s a comparison of the back of the hinge. Again, the new design is in front. Whatever Samsung has changed here, it’s very subtle.
The original Galaxy Fold very nearly made it to market, but review units — including ours — started developing serious hardware problems almost immediately. Some reviewers peeled off a protective film that was meant to be permanent, damaging the panel. We didn’t do that, but our original unit nevertheless developed a broken screen — possibly because debris got in under the hinge. It was a catastrophic result for a device that was seeded to a very small number of reviewers — such a high percentage of them ran into issues, there’s no telling what would have happened had Samsung released the phone to the general public.
That’s why, faced with multiple, high-profile reports of issues, Samsung officially delayed the release of the $1980 device and cancelled preorders. That was on April 22nd, when the company promised to investigate and resolve the issues with the screen. The intervening months have not been drama-free, either. Samsung requested iFixit pull a teardown from the internet, carriers scrambled to make sense of the situation, and Samsung’s co-CEO kept dropping hints that everything would turn out okay in the end.
Here’s what Samsung says it has changed on the new version of the Galaxy Fold:
The top protective layer of the Infinity Flex Display has been extended beyond the bezel, making it apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed.
Galaxy Fold features additional reinforcements to better protect the device from external particles while maintaining its signature foldable experience.
The top and bottom of the hinge area have been strengthened with newly added protection caps. Additional metal layers underneath the Infinity Flex Display have been included to reinforce the protection of the display. The space between the hinge and body of Galaxy Fold has been reduced.
Extending the “protective layer” is maybe the most important thing Samsung could have done, as many reviewers thought it was a screen protector and tried to peel it off, damaging the screen. The “additional reinforcements” to protect against “external particles” is likely to prevent the issue we experienced on our own review unit — we suspect debris got in through the hinge and damaged the screen from behind. The same may go for the reduction of the space between the hinge and the body.
The new version is the one in front, positioned below the old one. There’s an extra piece inside the hinge, which would likely prevent debris from getting in and wedging itself under the screen:
And here’s a comparison of the back of the hinge. Again, the new design is in front. Whatever Samsung has changed here, it’s very subtle.
The original Galaxy Fold very nearly made it to market, but review units — including ours — started developing serious hardware problems almost immediately. Some reviewers peeled off a protective film that was meant to be permanent, damaging the panel. We didn’t do that, but our original unit nevertheless developed a broken screen — possibly because debris got in under the hinge. It was a catastrophic result for a device that was seeded to a very small number of reviewers — such a high percentage of them ran into issues, there’s no telling what would have happened had Samsung released the phone to the general public.
That’s why, faced with multiple, high-profile reports of issues, Samsung officially delayed the release of the $1980 device and cancelled preorders. That was on April 22nd, when the company promised to investigate and resolve the issues with the screen. The intervening months have not been drama-free, either. Samsung requested iFixit pull a teardown from the internet, carriers scrambled to make sense of the situation, and Samsung’s co-CEO kept dropping hints that everything would turn out okay in the end.
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