Only this weekend! Samsung Discover deals! Galaxy S24 Ultra, Watch 6, Z Fold 5 or, Z Flip 5.

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

Notifications
    News for you

    Samsung reportedly delays Galaxy Fold US launch to May

    Phone
    By 

    Last updated: April 22nd, 2019 at 17:11 UTC+02:00

    Even though Samsung had previously said it would launch the Galaxy Fold on April 26 as planned, it seems the company may delay the launch in the United States as well. It has already postponed launch events for the device in China, Spain and Singapore. The events have been postponed as some early review units suffered problems that have widely been reported on.

    Samsung did say that it was investigating those reports while reiterating that the US launch won't be delayed from April 26. The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Samsung is delaying the Galaxy Fold US launch till “at least next month,” citing people familiar with the matter.

    Galaxy Fold US launch reportedly delayed

    It all started unfolding (no pun intended) for the Galaxy Fold last week. Merely days after review units were sent out, some reviewers complained that the display on their units broke. In most cases that was due to user error. There's a film on the foldable display that may look like a screen protector but it really isn't.

    Samsung did mention in its press briefings that this film is not to be removed. Those who removed it ended up damaging their units. There were one or two cases in which the unit's display broke even when the film wasn't taken off, but that could just have been a faulty unit to begin with.

    The company's initial response was that it would look into these reports but that the launch will go ahead as scheduled. Yet, Samsung China postponed the launch followed by Spain and Singapore. WSJ‘s sources say a similar decision has been made for the United States. The new release date is expected in the coming weeks but there's not a firm date yet. The internal investigation into the matter continues with sources saying that the issues are related to the hinge and extra pressure applied to the foldable display.

    It goes without saying that Samsung needs to add more warnings to the unit so that it's absolutely clear to customers that the top film is not to be removed. For that, it will have to open the packed units and insert additional material. That's going to take time, even though the initial pre-order run of the Galaxy Fold is reportedly only a few thousand units in the US.

    Samsung has clearly mismanaged the situation. The need for more warnings was evident from the moment this issue came to light. There was no way for Samsung to do that and still ship the handset on time. It would have had to delay the release anyway and yet the company first said it wouldn't do that. Samsung should have really thought about it and made this decision at that time. The more this stretches out the more negative coverage its first foldable smartphone gets. It's also going to shake the confidence of the early adopters who have made a commitment to purchase this $1,980 device. Samsung has not commented on the WSJ report as yet.

    Source Phone Galaxy Fold

    You might also like

    Original Samsung Galaxy Fold will no longer get updates

    Original Samsung Galaxy Fold will no longer get updates

    The original Galaxy Fold's launch was a rollercoaster ride for Samsung. The company took great pains to make sure its first foldable was kept completely under wraps until it was ready to be shown off, but just when it was ready to hit retail shelves, some design issues were discovered and made Samsung realize there […]

    • By Abhijeet Mishra
    • 4 months ago
    Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 2 get August 2023 security update

    Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 2 get August 2023 security update

    Samsung has released the August 2023 security update to various foldable phones, including the original Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Fold 5G, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2. These foldable phones have started getting the new security update in a few countries, and more countries should get the update within the next few days. Galaxy Fold and […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 7 months ago
    Original Galaxy Fold is now getting the August 2023 update

    Original Galaxy Fold is now getting the August 2023 update

    It's been a couple of months since the original Galaxy Fold received an update, and Samsung's decided it's time for another. The Galaxy Fold, released in 2019, is now getting the August 2023 update in a handful of markets. If you own a Galaxy Fold, you know that the device is no longer getting major […]

    • By Mihai Matei
    • 7 months ago
    Google Pixel Fold’s hinge is a far cry from “the most durable”

    Google Pixel Fold’s hinge is a far cry from “the most durable”

    Google's marketing material for its first foldable phone, the Pixel Fold, shows a lot of confidence in the device's ability and durability. The company goes as far as to claim that the Pixel Fold has “the most durable hinge on a foldable,” but an independent test suggests that these bold claims might be unfounded and […]

    • By Mihai Matei
    • 8 months ago
    Galaxy Fold gets one month old security update in the US

    Galaxy Fold gets one month old security update in the US

    Samsung has started rolling out the May 2023 security update to the Galaxy Fold in the US. The unlocked version of the foldable smartphone has been one month late in getting the security update. Some carriers have started rolling out the update to Samsung's first foldable smartphone. The latest software update for the Galaxy Fold […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 9 months ago
    Here’s one reason why Samsung foldable software experience is better

    Here’s one reason why Samsung foldable software experience is better

    Making a great foldable phone is the next big challenge for all smartphone brands. Samsung kickstarted the idea of taking foldable phones truly global. Even today, it is the only brand that has been selling foldable phones worldwide. Other brands, including Huawei, Motorola, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi, have launched two generations of foldable phones, but […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 9 months ago