Here’s how Samsung fixed the Galaxy Fold
The dream of a phone with a foldable screen quickly turned into a nightmare following disastrous screen malfunctions. Here’s how Samsung put it right.
It seems that Samsung has learned its lesson, and has fixed the problems that rendered the Galaxy Fold dead on arrival in the weeks following its launch in February. A new report claims that the flexible phone has been saved thanks to a larger and more obvious protective screen layer, caps to stop dust damaging the screen, and reinforcement with layers of metal underneath the screen.
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In February the Samsung Galaxy Fold launched to much fanfare. The first major foldable smartphone was expected to be a genuine gamechanger in a market that’s been saturated at the premium end with devices that are almost indistinguishable glassy blocks. Yet within weeks it had acquired the reputation of a folly, because several of the devices lent to tech journalists had malfunctioned. The problems affected the screen, with speculation that the vulnerable plastic display has been damaged irreparably by particulates. Those suppositions seem to have been confirmed by the steps Samsung has taken to solve the problem.
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Popular Science reports that first step taken is to increase the area covered by the screen protector, making it more obvious that it should not be removed. YouTuber Marcus Brownlee attempt to peel back this plastic covering, which compromised the device, so it does seem like an evident area for improvement and it’s good to see that it has been addressed.
Image Credit: @MKBHD/Twitter
Secondly, caps will be introduced around the screen to prevent dust or other particles from creeping underneath the screen protector. This also seems like a necessary step, since even some reviewers who did not remove the plastic layer found their screens malfunctioning. And finally, more metal layers have been added underneath the screen to make it more hardy. This would appear to be a good measure to strengthen the otherwise plastic screen.
We’re looking forward to seeing how the Galaxy Fold fares in its revised form. Will these finishing touches set it up to compete effectively against the rival Huawei Mate X?
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.