Oliver Haslam on April 23, 2019, 8:04 am

Samsung Delays Galaxy Fold Release Indefinitely Following Reports Of Failing Screens

It’s been a big week or so for Samsung and it’s ‘category changing’ Galaxy Fold. With launch just days away and amid many reviewers pointing out that their units failed for a number of reasons, some unexplained, the company has taken the decision to delay the product’s launch.

In a statement, Samsung said that it had looked at some of the phones that had been returned, and identified what may have caused some of the failures. As a result, it is going to work to strengthen the protection the Galaxy Fold’s display is afforded, hopefully preventing a repeat performance when the phone finally goes on sale.

To fully evaluate this feedback and run further internal tests, we have decided to delay the release of the Galaxy Fold. We plan to announce the release date in the coming weeks.

Initial findings from the inspection of reported issues on the display showed that they could be associated with impact on the top and bottom exposed areas of the hinge. There was also an instance where substances found inside the device affected the display performance.

Samsung isn’t saying when the phone will go on sale, other than the fact we can expect an announcement in the next couple of weeks alongside a new release window. However, given the wording of its statement, it sounds like some hardware changes are afoot.

We will take measures to strengthen the display protection. We will also enhance the guidance on care and use of the display including the protective layer so that our customers get the most out of their Galaxy Fold.

Photos of Galaxy Fold screen failures by The Verge and Steve Kovach

We can’t imagine that’s a quick process, but we’ll see what Samsung comes up with. While no doubt disappointing for those who had a $2000 device on order, this is obviously the correct move on Samsung’s part. It’s likely that we would have seen an unusually high failure rate if these handsets had been released, and that’s a situation Samsung absolutely had to avoid.

Now the only question we can think of is whether this is something that can be fixed without a complete device and design overhaul.