Some Galaxy Fold devices are already breaking

David Matthews

David Matthews

Posts: 438   +88
Staff member
Facepalm: Some reviewers are reporting screen problems with their Galaxy Fold review units. While this doesn't seem like a good look for Samsung, some of the issues may be the reviewers' own fault for not paying attention.

Members of the tech press have only had the Galaxy Fold for a couple of days and are already experiencing issues. According to The Verge, their review unit somehow got a piece of debris stuck underneath the screen causing a small bulge. Eventually, the bulge gave way and the screen broke.

To his credit, he seems to have treated the phone just fine, or at least as well as he would any other phone. He does say that a piece of molding clay that his team uses for video shoots could have somehow made its way into the phone. Fortunately, Samsung is sending a replacement unit although they haven't made an official statement on the matter.

Both Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Marques Brownlee aka MKBHD had completely unusable review units as well. However, this was likely because both Mark and Marques peeled off a protective layer of the screen. Apparently, they thought it was removable (possibly a regular screen protector). To be fair, Samsung does have a label on the phone explicitly warning not to remove the protective layer.

Last but not least, Steve Kovach from CNBC tweeted that the screen on his Galaxy Fold was flickering.

While cynics will likely point out that a ~$2,000 device should be flawless, keep in mind that this is new technology in a first generation product. Samsung likely knew there would be kinks to work out as early adopters discovered them. While that doesn't absolve Samsung, it does mean that we should expect a few bumps (literally and figuratively) on a phone that's otherwise pretty revolutionary.

That said, everyone remembers the Galaxy Note 7 disaster and any structural problems with a Samsung mobile device (especially one this expensive) is sure to be met with some trepidation. Samsung probably only made a limited number which would surely help the company to better manage any problems that arose.

The Galaxy Fold is currently out of stock and seems to be in high demand. Hopefully, that demand pushes Samsung to iron out the quirks with this first generation Fold into a much improved second generation.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/79704-galaxy-fold-devices-already-breaking.html

 
"He does say that a piece of molding clay that his team uses for video shoots could have somehow made its way into the phone."

While we probably don't all have clay laying around, we all have other stuff in our pockets. Anything could get lodged. Pocket lint, paper clips, rocks or yard waste, dirt, sand, paper pieces, my Precious, etc etc. If this happens to someone we might consider "technical", imagine when in the hands of the average hooligan?

I didn't expect folding screens would ever make it. Does anything electronic last very long when banged on and creased repeatedly?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ghostf1re and PEnnn
Anything can get in the creases. After a few months in my pockets the charging port of my phone often has fluff deep in it. Tissues are in there. Random tat I carry around that also breaks up. Candy wrappers. Receipts. Whatever. No problem. Pick it out. But if it breaks this phone then that's a big problem indeed.

The screen layer thing is bizarre though. They should have read the instructions, absolutely.

But the writing seems to be small. If I was selling this to average dimwitted consumer I would have that warning massive on the phone, in big red lettering with a big skull icon. :skull: If these guys make that mistake then thousands of other dummies also inevitably will, without an in-your-face warning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Godel
ShagnWagn said:
"He does say that a piece of molding clay that his team uses for video shoots could have somehow made its way into the phone."

While we probably don't all have clay laying around, we all have other stuff in our pockets. Anything could get lodged. Pocket lint, paper clips, rocks or yard waste, dirt, sand, paper pieces, my Precious, etc etc. If this happens to someone we might consider "technical", imagine when in the hands of the average hooligan?

I didn't expect folding screens would ever make it. Does anything electronic last very long when banged on and creased repeatedly?
Click to expand...

I didn't think of that problem/flaw until I read this article. Imagine someone who is more outdoorish who goes rock climbing... very high chance a piece of grit would get stuck between and just wreck the phone.
 
When you unfold the screen for the first time it should flash red with the message, try to ignore that.
 
I would expect ANY design engineer to expect and design for obvious issues and problems. You can't expect this thing to go in your pocket and not pick up "some" of the junk that can be in there. This sounds like the classic case of trying to beat the market to the punch no matter how many short cuts needed to be taken.
 
  • Like
Reactions: onestepforward
They need an AI that can simulate the stupidity of the human race and run products through it first. Canned tests are nothing compared to the stuff regular people will subject their phones to.
 
ShagnWagn said:
I didn't expect folding screens would ever make it. Does anything electronic last very long when banged on and creased repeatedly?
Click to expand...
Old brick phones. We used to play kick them as if they were footballs for fun as kids.
 
See this is part of the problem with people in general - the majority of the general public is far too stupid to have something like this. also, most people don't read. this is a device with a SCREEN THAT FOLDS - be careful with it or it will break. very simple. if you are careful with, and take care of, your technology then buy one. if you have broken 7 iPhones in the last 2 years because you throw them in your purse, drop them, crack them, sit on them, scratch them, toss it in your glove box, etc. then DON'T BUY IT.

if YOU broke the device because YOU misused it, why are you posting about it telling the world there is something wrong with it.

its a FOLDABLE phone, its not SUPPOSED to be durable. do you sit in the bathtub with your laptop?? no! do you take your new dodge off-roading?? no!!
 
kevbev89 said:
ShagnWagn said:
"He does say that a piece of molding clay that his team uses for video shoots could have somehow made its way into the phone."

While we probably don't all have clay laying around, we all have other stuff in our pockets. Anything could get lodged. Pocket lint, paper clips, rocks or yard waste, dirt, sand, paper pieces, my Precious, etc etc. If this happens to someone we might consider "technical", imagine when in the hands of the average hooligan?

I didn't expect folding screens would ever make it. Does anything electronic last very long when banged on and creased repeatedly?
Click to expand...

I didn't think of that problem/flaw until I read this article. Imagine someone who is more outdoorish who goes rock climbing... very high chance a piece of grit would get stuck between and just wreck the phone.
Click to expand...

...why the hell would you take your PHONE rock climbing???? that is your OWN FAULT
 
  • Like
Reactions: QuantumPhysics
Nobina said:
ShagnWagn said:
I didn't expect folding screens would ever make it. Does anything electronic last very long when banged on and creased repeatedly?
Click to expand...
Old brick phones. We used to play kick them as if they were footballs for fun as kids.
Click to expand...

Sorry I wasn't more detailed in my response. I meant the electronics themselves - the circuits. A mechanically solid hinge point wasn't my intent. Were the circuit boards themselves part of the folding point on those brick phones?
 
joseph mcfadden said:
...why the hell would you take your PHONE rock climbing???? that is your OWN FAULT
Click to expand...

Chillax yo.

You aren't everybody, everybody has their own usage habits. And I don't rock climb, I'm just drawing an example where you can have such problems easily. The same can also occur while hiking (hopefully that doesn't freak you out) where you can just as easily get something in the fold.
 
  • Like
Reactions: onestepforward
While cynics will likely point out that a ~$2,000 device should be flawless, keep in mind that this is new technology in a first generation product.
Click to expand...
No, not flawless but dumb proof, you shouldn't need to be wearing a glove in a controlled environment to use a freaking phone, if the sticker looks like it can be peeled off, guess what? That's how all brand new things come like, and to everyone's surprise, you WILL try to remove it.

It doesn't feel like it was made clear enough that it's not a protective layer, rather something that NEEDS to be there.
 
At $2K not many people will be buying this, but for $2K those people will have a simple expectation that it can tolerate debris in a pocket and that the device won't look like it has an annoying screen protector on it.

If that second fact was not obvious to a number of reviewers, then Samsung made a big error and damn well better fix either the look of the screen layer, or the communication of its importance to the everyday ($2K!) user.

This is a customer satisfaction issue and Samsung should delay shipment to get this right the first time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: onestepforward
Lots of people here are talking about pocket debris and what not, but what about if a woman owns it and has it in her purse? The amount of random stuff in my girlfriend's purse would destroy a phone like this real fast. How about women who put their phones in their back pockets because they can't fit them in the front or just don't like how it looks bulging in the front?
 
ghostf1re said:
Lots of people here are talking about pocket debris and what not, but what about if a woman owns it and has it in her purse? The amount of random stuff in my girlfriend's purse would destroy a phone like this real fast. How about women who put their phones in their back pockets because they can't fit them in the front or just don't like how it looks bulging in the front?
Click to expand...
Yo, what's the problem? They're only $2,000 bucks a pop. If it breaks, just buy her a new one.:laughing: :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

midian182
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 likely to be slimmer with wider screens, may include cheaper model
Replies
4
Views
305
erickmendes
erickmendes
midian182
  • Locked
Russia sentences Meta's communications director to six years in prison over "terrorism" charges
2
Replies
35
Views
353
Endymio
Endymio
Jimmy2x
Mechs, recon vehicles, and armored personnel carriers are popping up in some Helldivers...
Replies
5
Views
200
erickmendes
erickmendes

Latest posts

Back