Samsung have cancelled upcoming orders for the Galaxy Fold. Samsung is asking customers if they want to keep their orders, and if not confirmed by May 31st, their orders will be cancelled.
Ifixit’s review of the Fold stated the vulnerabilities of the design. After two days, Samsung requested that this was removed from the Ifixit website. However, since, Samsung have confirmed they are addressing these problems and have not confirmed a release date for the Galaxy Fold.
Ifixit wrote this review after honest use of the device which exposed the delicacy of the OLED screens. Samsung is the world’s leading manufacturer of OLED displays; these screens are heralded for their brilliance in colour and flexibility. However, they are extremely sensitive, specifically to particles such as oxygen or moisture, which can lead to defects. The Galaxy Fold (which exposes the screen through physical gaps in the design) is prone to debris and potential failure. The pre-installed screen protectors were also a big failure. Many users were reported to have removed the pre-installed screen protectors, unaware that these should not be removed (as you normally can with screen protectors). The removal of these led to complete device failure.
Due to these faults, Samsung have notified customers that they are yet to set a release date. Customers have been given the option to cancel their orders or confirm they want to wait. Their announcement also states that pre-orders are still guaranteed to get the Galaxy Fold as soon as it is released, but that customers won’t be charged until the smartphone is actually shipped.