The Galaxy Fold release is today with a Best Buy deal, damaged preview unit
With a five months delay, Samsung is releasing the Galaxy Fold at AT&T and BestBuy today, after the few preview specimens it sent out to tech reviewers and assorted "influencers" were either abused or exhibited strange display artifacts back in the spring.
Samsung was allegedly postponing the re-release in order to better train the reps on presenting the device and teaching potential buyers how to use the phone. Like, for instance, not to scrape off the cover film which turned out to be an integral part of the flexible display underneath.
The cover film has now been packaged tighter with the flexible display, and the hinge gap from where dust and debris entered underneath the crease has been fixed, as Samsung managed to solve the two glaring problems that emerged during the real-life operation of the initial Fold batch.
Samsung slapped the polyimide film against scratches, even though it does not completely wrap around and fuse with the panel at the edges, making it look like a screen protector of sorts. Well, this time around it is taking no chances, and just outed a video called "Caring about..." It's the first time we are seeing such a video manual with subtle hints not to peel off anything, or how to push gently to open your $1980 phone.
At least one of the new and improved preview units it sent out to us tech reporting brethren, however, developed a strange display artifact during the simple action of using and closing/opening the Fold carefully:
I pulled the Fold from my pocket while standing in line at CVS after work the other day. I opened it up and spotted something new nestled between the lock screen’s flapping butterfly wings. There was a brightly colored, amorphous blob.
The blob
Galaxy Fold price at AT&T
It's a teeny-tiny-still-annoying cluster of discombobulated pixels, and the loaner unit has been taken back by Samsung for examination, yet it's not a good look if you are buying a $1979.99 phone, or the price you would pay for it at AT&T if you get it outright.
Galaxy Fold deal at Best Buy
The carrier also offers a $66/month installment plan, but Best Buy has a better deal, offering $50-$100 off the Fold if you activate it with the purchase, depending on the carrier.
What Samsung has reportedly done now, is fuse the anti-fingerprint film tighter with the underlying package, and increased the corner overlap so that it doesn't look like a screen protector the invites you to peel it off.
The crease itself, however, seems to be the tricky place where artifacts may develop, but Samsung is offering free or cheap screen replacements in case of damage with normal use, so you can sleep tighter during the warranty period.
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