Samsung’s first foldable phone and the company’s ambitions to prove to the world that it’s at the forefront of mobile innovation were dealt a massive blow a few weeks ago when Galaxy Fold review units experienced serious screen failures. Samsung was forced to postpone the Galaxy Fold’s release as it investigates the matter, and it recalled all the review units that were distributed. Samsung has yet to explain the exact cause of the problems, although we do have unofficial explanations of what went wrong with the foldable screens. But we still don’t have an updated release date for the Galaxy Fold, and the company is now notifying customers that their pre-orders could soon be canceled.
Samsung can’t confirm a shipping date for the Galaxy Fold, Reuters reports, and the South Korean company apologized to its US customers for the delay. “If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be canceled automatically,” Samsung told buyers via email. Samsung was required to issue the notification to US buyers due to US regulations, the company confirmed to Reuters.
It’s unclear at this time whether similar emails went out to international Samsung customers who may have pre-ordered the phone.
The Galaxy Fold is Samsung’s most expensive smartphone to date, retailing for $1,980. The device also features the most daring Samsung smartphone design ever, but we’d still advise you against buying the phone until Samsung takes steps to ensure that the updated version of the phone won’t be a piece of junk anymore.
Two separate issues may have caused the foldable screen to malfunction on those review units, including debris and user error. A teardown suggested that gaps near the phone’s hinge may have allowed dust to getting inside the handset and damage the screen. As for the human factor, the Galaxy Fold features a display with what looks like a pre-installed screen protector. That layer shouldn’t be removed, as per Samsung’s instructions, as doing so will result in permanent damage to the screen.
