Some of Samsung’s new $2,000 folding phones appear to be breaking after just a couple of days.
Journalists who received the phones to review before the public launch say the Galaxy Fold screen started flickering and turning black before completely fizzling out.
A couple of journalists say they removed a thin, protective layer from the screens that they thought was supposed to come off, but was meant to stay.
A warning on the Galaxy Fold packaging instructs users not to remove the protective layer, according to a photo posted by T-Mobile Senior Product Manager Desmond Smith.
‘The main screen includes a special protective layer,’ it reads. ‘Peeling off the protective layer or using any adhesives on the main screen, such as screen protectors or stickers, may cause damage.’
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said his Galaxy Fold started operating abnormally after he removed the film and eventually became unusable.
‘The screen on my Galaxy Fold review unit is completely broken and unusuable just two days in,’ Gurman wrote in a tweet.
Additionally, YouTube user Marques Brownlee said he removed the protective film and his device began having issues.
But Dieter Bohn, executive editor of technology news site The Verge, says he left that layer on and his screen still broke.
My colleague opened the Galaxy Fold and it started doing this. So, long answer to your question @WilfredFrost, the hinge doesn’t seem very rugged after all. After two days: pic.twitter.com/Z1F8iwjURa
— Todd Haselton (@robotodd) April 17, 2019
Bohn added that the device seemed to have a defective hinge, causing the screen to become ‘distorted’ with a slight swelling that can be felt when you run your finger over it.
Eventually, the screen began to show signs that it would break entirely, he said.
CNBC also reported that even with the protective layer still intact, the phone stopped working properly.
‘When opened, the left side of the flexible display, which makes up a large 7.3-inch screen, flickers consistently,’ the site explained.
The issues raise questions about whether or not the Galaxy Fold can withstand normal use.
Prior to the Fold’s release, Samsung reportedly tested the phone’s folding mechanism more than 200,000 times, claiming it passed the threshold for durability.
The long-anticipated folding phone goes on sale April 26 in the U.S. for $1,980, making it one of the most expensive phones anywhere – particularly if it isn’t as durable as promised.
Samsung did not immediately comment.
The firm previously weathered a massive recall of the Galaxy Note 7 after the device’s batteries overheated and exploded.
Speculation about problems with the Galaxy Fold’s design first arose last month.
A leaked video posted by YouTube user phoneoftime showed a glaringly obvious crease down the middle of the extra large screen.
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