After a somewhat tumultuous public debut, Samsung has confirmed that it is ready to start selling the Galaxy Fold in select markets from September this year.
The Galaxy Fold, Samsung's first foldable smartphone, was initially meant to go on sale in April, but the release was postponed just days before it went on sale. Questions were raised about the Galaxy Fold's durability after multiple review units failed due to a variety of screen-related issues.
In some cases, the protective layer was accidentally removed from the screen. In others, debris managed to make its way inside the hinge. Some devices failed for no apparent reason.
Samsung says it has spent the last few months addressing these issues. According to the company:
- The protective layer cannot be removed
- The top and bottom of the hinge have been strengthened with newly added protection caps
- Additional metal layers have been added under the display
- The space between the hinge and the body of the Galaxy Fold has been reduced
Final tests are now being conducted ahead of the September launch.
In addition, Samsung has it has continued to refine the Galaxy Fold's software and optimised more apps for the foldable form-factor.
At this time, Samsung has yet to confirm Australian pricing and availability, but hopefully we'll be part of the first wave in September. I'm crossing all of my fingers. The Galaxy Fold was originally set to cost USD$1,980, which converts to about $2,800 at current exchange rates.
A September release date means the Galaxy Fold will once again be racing the Huawei Mate X to market. The Mate X was originally set to launch in June, but Huawei delayed the device to September following the whole Samsung situation. At this stage, there's no telling who'll be first.
Alex Choros
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