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‘Gapgate’ solved: Here’s why the Galaxy Note 4 has a gap between its frame and display [updated]

Updated Sep 30th, 2014 8:46PM EDT
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Gap
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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Don’t mind the gap, says Samsung. Earlier this week we started hearing reports out of Korea that some Galaxy Note 4 owners were annoyed by a gap that they found between the Note 4’s frame and its display that was apparently wide enough to fit two pieces of A4 paper inside. Now, however, AndroidCentral has discovered that this isn’t a design bug… it’s a feature.

FROM EARLIER: ‘Gapgate’: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 might have a big manufacturing problem

After reading through the Galaxy Note 4’s user’s manual that came out this week, AndroidCentral found that Samsung actually talked about the gap in one section, as the company admits it designed the phone to have a gap on purpose.

“This gap is a necessary manufacturing feature and some minor rocking or vibration of parts may occur,” Samsung writes. “Over time, friction between parts may cause this gap to expand slightly.”

In other words, if you’re not a fan of having a gap between your phone’s display and its frame, you really might want to think twice before picking up the Note 4, especially because it seems this gap might actually get bigger with time. Fortunately for Samsung, however, images of people shoving business cards into their phones’ displays aren’t as potent as the images of bent iPhone 6 Plusses that Apple has been dealing with.

UPDATE: A reader points out that this exact same note about a gap was present in the user’s manual for both the Galaxy Note 3 and Note 2. Looking at both the Note 2 and Note 3, though, we don’t see anything like the gap that’s being about the Note 4. We’ll have to wait and see just how big this gap is once the device releases.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.