As if the original release of Samsung's highly anticipated first foldable smartphone wasn't messy enough, with review units catastrophically and unexpectedly damaged after just a couple of days of light usage, ultimately forcing an indefinite delay, said delay isn't exactly being handled in the greatest, most transparent way.
A thick cloud of confusion has been hovering over the Galaxy Fold ever since the groundbreaking device literally started breaking, as a new launch date announcement was initially expected within a couple of weeks of Samsung's acknowledgment of "some issues." But just like in the classic Tom Hanks starrer "The Money Pit", the company's promise to clear everything up in "two weeks" kept repeating itself, drawing increasingly frustrated reactions from potential buyers and general foldable concept enthusiasts.
What's worse is that the latest Korean media report scraps this bogus optimism altogether, crushing our hopes of getting an official update on a revised release schedule in the next two weeks... or more.
Little to no progress since April
Remember more than a month ago when CEO Koh Dong-jin claimed Samsung's investigation of Galaxy Fold defects was pretty much completed and a "conclusion" on the re-release was expected to be reached in a "couple of days"? That last part obviously didn't happen, but according to an unnamed Samsung official quoted by The Korea Herald today, the part about the investigation and improvement process being nearly over was not true either.
The Galaxy Fold initially showed so much promise
In fact, said official claims "nothing has progressed since the April delay", which sounds really bad. At the same time, the bleak statement comes into direct conflict with multiple reports, rumors, and announcements in recent weeks. While a firm timeline is probably not in place yet, describing the situation as completely stagnant since April seems like a gross misrepresentation of the facts.
After all, Samsung knows exactly what was wrong with those feeble devices from a couple of months back. A simple teardown and examination of the Galaxy Fold's structural durability was enough to reveal its key weaknesses. Of course, fixing said flaws is much trickier than merely noticing them, but Samsung purportedly managed to strengthen the display and protective plastic layer applied on top of it, as well as minimize the gaps between said layer and the phone's bezels.
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This is the gap that makes it way too easy for the screen to be damaged by debris
Still, it is true that scheduling a press event by the end of this month to talk about a re-release and improved foldable design is starting to seem more and more unlikely. And the same unfortunately goes for an early July commercial rollout.
The Galaxy Note 10 is drawing near
If Samsung doesn't pull off a July launch, which is what this new report is hinting at, the company may as well re-release the Galaxy Fold alongside the Galaxy Note 10 in August. More specifically, on or around August 10. We know, that seems incredibly far away, but why rush the product out if little progress has indeed been made on the reinforcement front?
The Galaxy Fold could ultimately see daylight alongside the gorgeous Note 10
It's not like Huawei, Xiaomi, Motorola or anyone else is expected to actually ship a working foldable device to consumers anytime soon. Heck, Samsung could probably delay the Galaxy Fold until October or November and it still wouldn't do much damage to the company's pioneering status in this category predicted to revolutionize the mobile industry as a whole... one day.
Besides, showcasing a tougher, fully functional Galaxy Fold next to a Note 10 that's shaping up to be almost as eye-catching could take some pressure off a cutting-edge product that's quickly turning into a joke. Bottom line, the best thing Samsung could do right now is stop offering us conflicting information and unrealistic timelines. The company should just do what needs to be done about the Galaxy Fold in silence and then surprise us with an actually usable device.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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