After delaying the retail release of its first foldable smartphone for four months, Samsung said it has fixed the Galaxy Fold’s screen problems and it will relaunch the phone in September.
A more specific date is expected to be announced closer to that time, but the company confirmed the price will remain the same as before – $1,800.
Not everyone will be able to get their hands on the device, since Galaxy Fold will be released to fewer markets this time around, including “the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and India.”
“All of us at Samsung appreciate the support and patience we’ve received from Galaxy fans all over the world. Galaxy Fold is a device long in the making, and we’re proud to share it with the world and look forward to bringing it to consumers.” Samsung said in its statement.
The company is currently conducting final quality control tests. The Galaxy Fold preorders sold out on the first day, but no preorder money was collected, so the interest for the foldable smartphone remains high.
Here are some of the changes Samsung announced it has made to the phone:
⦁ 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
⦁ Additional reinforcements will 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
The most significant change is going to be the extension of the “protective layer”, which most reviewers deemed a screen protector and tried to peel it off, damaging the screen.
The “additional reinforcements” to protect against “external particles” is set to prevent debris to get in through the hinge and damage the screen from behind.
The Galaxy Fold was not the only Samsung phone that experienced issues in the past years. Galaxy Note 7 was more famous for catching fire than anything tech-related, forcing the company to pull the product altogether.
The foldable smartphone didn’t even get to reach the public, reviewer models experiencing multiple, high-profile reports of issues. Co-CEO DJ Koh admitted that the company pushed the original Fold out to market “before it was ready,” adding that “it was embarrassing.”
It’s safe to assume the Korean company wanted to clear the air on the Galaxy Fold ahead of its August 7th “Unpacked” event, where we expect to see the Galaxy Note 10, Note 10 Pro, and potentially other devices like a new Android tablet and smartwatch.
Whether Samsung would even be able to solve Galaxy Fold’s issues was a mystery so far, but with this announcement, expectations are higher than ever. Even so, Fold is still looking like a delicate phone and probably won’t ever become mainstream.
Follow TechTheLead on Google News to get the news first.
