Galaxy Fold Set for Release
Back in February, just before #MWC19, Samsung announced the Galaxy Fold, and today, have set a release date.
Samsung has now confirmed the Galaxy Fold will go on sale this September into select markets. The new handset will cost around the $1980/€2000 mark.
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Soon after the big event where Samsung showed off the Fold for the first time, they sent out test units to selected tech sites, celebrities and YouTubers.
The result was not what Samsung had expected!
Accepting the Faults
No sooner was the coveted Fold in the hands of these chosen testers, than the handset started to fail.
Reports quickly came in of displays flickering or freezing, while others just went dead. Some testers thought they needed to remove the easily peelable film off that was on the screen, which was not the case.
Samsung took the blows and handled the subsequent media fall out well. They returned to the drawing board and focused on reworking the hinge, which many suggested was the root cause of the display troubles.
As part of the press statement for the new release date, Samsung confirmed the following actions:
Samsung has taken the time to fully evaluate the product design, make necessary improvements and run rigorous tests to validate the changes we made. These design and construction improvements include:
Samsung Press
The top protective layer of the Infinity Flex Display has been extended beyond the bezel, making it apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed.
Galaxy Fold features additional reinforcements to better protect the device from external particles while maintaining its signature foldable experience:
The top and bottom of the hinge area have been strengthened with newly added protection caps.
Additional metal layers underneath the Infinity Flex Display have been included to reinforce the protection of the display.
Space between the hinge and body of Galaxy Fold has been reduced.
While the hardware team have been hard at work, the developers and software engineers have used the time to optimize more apps. Therefore providing a better user experience and helping the end-user to get the most out of the dual, and foldable, displays.
A Travellers New Best Friend?
As a new design to a fairly stagnant smartphone market, I’m excited to see the Galaxy Fold be a success. As travellers, a foldable smartphone that doubles as a tablet or a second display could prove very useful for some.
But, is this just a fad?
Samsung will confirm the exact date in the coming weeks and will be updated here.
Join the Conversation
I’m keen to hear the views of travellers on the Galaxy Fold and how it might improve their travels. How would it benefit you? Can you see the potential or is it a gimmick?
With a release date now for the Samsung Galaxy Fold set, will we have a new era in smartphones?
Comment below or join the conversation on Twitter.
More information at samsung.com.