Reviewers report major faults with Samsung’s new foldy screen

A number of tech reviewers have reported the screens of their Galaxy Fold review units breaking soon after they started using them.

Reviewers for The Verge, CNBC and Bloomberg all had major problems with the groundbreaking foldable screen soon after they got their hands on it. The Bloomberg case seemed to result from the removal of a protective film over the screen, which it wasn’t made clear shouldn’t be done. The other two don’t seem to have made that mistake, however, and report different faults, which must be seriously worrying for Samsung.

Here’s the statement Samsung gave those sites: “A limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples were provided to media for review. We have received a few reports regarding the main display on the samples provided. We will thoroughly inspect these units in person to determine the cause of the matter.

“Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen. The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage. We will ensure this information is clearly delivered to our customers.”

That all seems fair enough but, given the catastrophe that was the Galaxy Note 7 Samsung must be getting some traumatic flashbacks. The screen itself seems to be holding up so long as you don’t peel the film off, but some of the underlying circuitry and structure seems to be struggling. If these cases turn out to be isolated then they will all be forgotten but if any more such reports emerge then the launch of the Galaxy Fold is in a lot of trouble.