Galaxy...Fail? Some of Samsung's $2,000 folding phones are already breaking as users report the device stopped working after just ONE day
- Early reviews of Samsung's folding phone show the screen is often defective
- Users say the screen was flickering while the hinge created a noticeable bulge
- Issues may stem from users removing a protective film on the inside display
- The nearly $2,000 Galaxy Fold officially goes on sale in the U.S. on April 26th
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.
Scroll down for video
Journalists who received the Samsung Galaxy Fold phones to review before the public launch say the Galaxy Fold screen started flickering and turning black before completely fizzling out
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.
Share this article
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.
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.
YouTube user Marques Brownlee said he removed the protective film and his device began having issues. He was just one of several other early users who experienced that issue
Users said they removed a protective layer from the screens that they thought was supposed to come off, but was meant to stay. A warning on the package discourages removing the film
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.
HOW DOES SAMSUNG'S FOLDING PHONE WORK?
At the Korean tech giant's Unpacked event in San Francisco, it officially debuted the Galaxy Fold, a unique device that's part smartphone, part tablet.
The Galaxy Fold, which features an unprecedented six cameras and two batteries, starts at a whopping $1,980.
In a mesmerizing demonstration, Samsung showed how the Galaxy Fold transforms from a compact smartphone that 'fits in the palm of your hand' into a full-sized tablet with an uninterrupted screen, thanks to a hinge that's 'hidden' in the device.
DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications, holds up the new Samsung Galaxy Fold smartphone during the Korean tech giant's Unpacked event
When folded open, the device features a 7.3-inch AMOLED Infinity Flex Display with QXGA+ resolution.
It then folds closed to become a single, smaller 4.6-inch AMOLED display.
Amazingly, the full screen is almost entirely edge-to-edge and features no disruptive hinge down the middle, allowing it to 'open naturally' and giving it a 'seamless, elegant look.'
Samsung said it worked with Google to help Android app developers optimize their apps for the revolutionary folding display design.
The interior screen is big enough that users can run three apps at one time.
- My Samsung Galaxy Fold screen broke after just a day - The Verge
- Samsung Galaxy Fold screen breaking and flickering
- Mark Gurman on Twitter: "The screen on my Galaxy Fold review unit is completely broken and unusable just two days in. Hard to know if this is widespread or not.… https://t.co/tvECygQgFN"
Most watched News videos
- Police cordon off area after sword-wielding suspect attacks commuters
- Vunipola laughs off taser as police try to eject him from club
- Terrifying moment Turkish knifeman attacks Israeli soldiers
- King and Queen depart University College Hospital
- Jewish man is threatened by a group of four men in north London
- Two heart-stopping stormchaser near-misses during tornado chaos
- Horror as sword-wielding man goes on rampage in east London
- King Charles in good spirits as he visits cancer hospital in London
- Moment van crashes into passerby before sword rampage in Hainault
- Shocked eyewitness describes moment Hainault attacker stabbed victim
- Moment first illegal migrants set to be sent to Rwanda detained
- Moment first illegal migrants set to be sent to Rwanda detained
