Samsung has a long list of successful devices in the smartphone market, but the company also left a mark in headlines over the past few years for all the wrong reasons. Galaxy Note 7 with its exploding batteries, the S8 line with its awkward fingerprint sensor positioning, the recent lawsuit over their devices’ water resistance ads and their most innovative device called back.
CEO DJ Koh accepted that the recall was embarrassing and the device was rushed to launch even before their device was ready, as reported by The Independent.
Samsung’s developer conference in 2018 was when we got the first look at the device. Samsung had just announced a variety of new display designs, and the ‘Infinity Flex’ used on the Fold was shown functioning on an obscured body of the now recalled Fold.
The phone was then told to have a smaller display with the unique aspect ratio of 12:9 on the front and one with a 4.2:3 aspect ratio on the inside. The device boasted of a continuity feature which worked in a way that transferred everything from the smaller screen to the larger one when the user unfolded the phone.
At this point of time, no one knew how Samsung’s phone looked, felt or performed, but one thing was sure it was about to change up the stagnant market.
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The unveiling
Now, Samsung unveiled the device in all its glory in February, although the public was only allowed to see it behind a glass wall and not touch it. At this point, the audience got a glimpse of the device’s hinge and display with a short teaser.
Review units received a reasonably positive response from bloggers and media organisations until problems started to the pop up a few weeks before the device’s launch on April 26, 2019. These problems dictated the life cycle of the Galaxy Fold — away from the limelight and behind Samsung’s closed doors.
The problems
A lot of the reviewers complained about the plasticky feel of the display and most of them even thought that the film, which was an essential part of the display, was only a protective layer and tried to removed it. The Verge’s device had an issue where it developed a bulge where the hinge is present, and others just had the display turn off never to turn back on.
The display was the focal point of the device’s issues, and due to the hinge mechanism, which plays an integral part in the entire Fold experience, the company had to sacrifice water resistance. Scratches that are hard to come by on the displays protected by the Gorilla Glass appeared easily on the polymer, and this along with the ‘jelly-scroll’ effect as termed by The Verge made for an unpleasant experience.
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Current situation
Once the issues were made public, Samsung recalled all the units in an attempt to reassess what was wrong with the device and to work on it to make it ready for release.
The latest news making the circulations right now is that a Galaxy Fold has been spotted out in Delhi as reported by BGR. The images in the report suggest minimal physical changes on the outside. According to several other reports, Samsung has now extended the protective film to cover the entire display and tucked it under the outer bezel so that it can no longer be peeled off.
The company has also re-engineered the hinge to push away from the screen, which in turn may minimise the appearance of the crease. It also gives the display a more rigid feel, unlike the softness that it had in the first iteration.
The company has not mentioned any release dates but is reportedly trying to push the device during the holiday season. Huawei, their main competition in this segment, has pushed back the launch of their foldable smartphone too.
Samsung Galaxy Fold Specs
- Outer cover display: 4.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED
- Primary display: 7.3-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED
- Cover Camera (front): 10MP shooter
- Front camera (primary display): Dual-lens setup with 10MP selfie camera and 8MP RGB depth camera
- Rear camera: Triple-lens setup with a 16MP ultra wide lens, 12MP wide-angle lens and 12MP telephoto lens
- Memory and Storage: 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage
- Dual cell battery: 4380mAh LTE and 4235mAh 5G.
- OS: Android 9 Pie
- Audio: Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos surround sound and Galaxy Buds (in box)
- Colours: Silver, Black, Green, Blue
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