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Customers who pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy Fold could receive their devices soon as an executive from Samsung Display claims that the panel manufacturer finally fixed the issues that plagued the first foldable smartphone offering from the South Korean tech giant.
Even though Kim Seong-cheol, Samsung Display’s Vice-President, did not provide any specific details on the solutions it created to fix the display of the Galaxy Fold, the executive did mention that with the resolution of the screen issues, the smartphone will likely ship to interested consumers soon. However, he did not provide any specific date for the actual launch of the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung Electronics originally intended to launch the Galaxy Fold last April in the United States. However, reviewers and journalists provided with initial samples of the device encountered several display issues with the company’s first foldable handset.
One of the design issues that plagued the device is the easy removal of the polyimide film that serves as the protective cover of the smartphone’s display. Some reviewers mistook the film as a screen protector and proceeded to detach the cover from the screen, causing the failure of the panel
Another possible cause of display failure encountered by the users of the Galaxy Fold is the entry of substances or particles in the device. These substances could negatively impact the performance of the screen. In an article released by iFixit, it further noted that OLED displays tend to fail entirely even if only a segment of the panel is damaged. Compared to LCD panels, OLED screens are more sensitive to substances like water and oxygen.
Samsung Display likely collaborated with Samsung Electronics to redesign the handset and the display panel to resolve the issues that plagued the Galaxy Fold. Among the changes in device design that the South Korean tech giant will likely introduce into its foldable smartphone include inserting the ends of protective film into the edges of the smartphone’s chassis. This design change should make it harder for users to remove the polyimide film.
Moreover, Samsung Electronics will reportedly include warnings with the smartphone, which inform the user that they should not remove the film that protects the screen.
Meanwhile, to reduce the risk of the entry of potentially damaging substances into the device, reports claim that Samsung reduced the gap of the hinge of the foldable smartphone, which should help prevent materials from entering the handset. The South Korean tech giant may have also introduced other modifications into the Galaxy Fold, although additional information about these changes may become available once the company officially launches the handset.
Interestingly, Samsung Electronics announced a few days ago that it would not launch the Galaxy Fold next month, contradicting previous reports which claimed that the handset maker would release the device in July. Samsung initially stated that it would reveal a new launch date for the device several weeks after the postponement of the launch, although the company has yet to inform users who pre-ordered the smartphone on when they will receive their smartphones.
Nonetheless, this recent report suggests that the device will soon ship to customers after a few months of postponed launches.