First Galaxy Z TriFold screen damage reported without physical impact

Samsung started selling its first tri-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, in South Korea just last month. And enough people seem to be buying the phone, considering it has sold out in minutes each time it went on sale in Samsung’s home country. Now, the first case of the Galaxy Z TriFold’s screen damage has been reported.

A South Korean Galaxy Z TriFold user has claimed on Samsung’s official forums that the foldable OLED panel was damaged without any physical impact. Apparently, a white line has appeared near the left-side hinge of the panel. The user claims that the leftmost section of the three-part display has been turning on and off since the white line appeared.

You can see the white line in the image below.

Even though the Galaxy Z TriFold costs KRW 3,590,400 ($2,500), Samsung isn’t offering a free screen replacement during the warranty period. Instead, it is offering a one-time 50% discount on the screen repair cost, which still comes out to KRW 1,300,000 ($800).

To instill confidence in potential buyers, Samsung should offer a no-questions-asked screen replacement policy for early adopters. After all, the Galaxy Z TriFold is its first tri-folding phone and is extremely expensive. Those willing to spend thousands of dollars on a first-generation Samsung product should get some relief if something goes wrong.

A recent video showed that the Galaxy Z TriFold isn’t as strong as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. While each section of the phone is as thin as those on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it appears to bend more easily. In any case, it wouldn’t reflect well on Samsung if more such cases surface before the Galaxy Z TriFold launches in the US and other countries in the coming weeks.