Samsung is postponing the launch of the Galaxy Fold, which was originally scheduled for April 24th in Shanghai. The reason for this are problems with the folding display of the smartphone, which costs almost 2,000 euros.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold, which was unveiled in February, was originally scheduled to launch on April 26 in select markets in the US and May 3 in Europe. This has also been postponed.
The Samsung device's screen folds and reopens to give users a flexible, tablet-sized display. However, journalists who have tested the product in recent weeks reported problems such as pauses, unexpected shutdowns and flashing screens. According to initial findings, the reason for this could be the hinge in the middle of the screen. In March, Samsung released a video in which robots opened and closed the Galaxy Fold 200,000 times as a durability test.
Some of the critics also accidentally removed a protective layer that looked like the usual clear protective film but was part of the screen. The display performance was therefore affected.
Samsung said in a statement that the Galaxy Fold needs “further improvements” before it releases the phone to consumers.
“In order to fully evaluate this feedback and conduct further internal testing, we have decided to postpone the launch of the Galaxy Fold,” the South Korean company added.
Compared to the serious battery problem of the Note 7 from 2016, the current situation can even be seen as positive. However, the postponement harms the tech giant's efforts to present itself as an innovative first mover and not a successor, analysts said.
The complete statement can be found inSamsung Newsroom Germany.