HomeNews FeedThis teardown proves Samsung Galaxy Fold has issues

This teardown proves Samsung Galaxy Fold has issues

Reading Time: 2 minutes read

Last week after tech reviewers reports on the screen issues, Samsung has finally decided to postpone the Galaxy Fold launch. Samsung has postponed the launch globally including Malaysia. Samsung has requested tech reviewers to return the test unit. One of the tech reviewers, iFixit has given a full teardown treatment for the Galaxy Fold. From this teardown process, iFixit has found a few issues.

Thanks to iFixit they have discovered a few areas where problems can occur. First of all, if you spoil the Galaxy Fold, then you should forget repairing it. This is because the phone is almost impossible to repair. The repairability score it receives is 2 out of 10. The Galaxy Fold has a slim plastic frame which has gaps when the screen is folded. You have to be very careful where dust can easily enter into the Galaxy Fold. Not only that, but there are gaps also at the back of the hinge where dust can enter easily. The shocking part is this is the first Samsung smartphone which is not IP rated. This means the new Galaxy Fold is not dust and water resistance.

Unlike the dull slabs of glass we're used to, this smartphone/tablet hybrid has lots of potential entry points—and not the good kind.

The main reason Samsung postpones the Galaxy Fold is the protective layer which peels off easily. However, iFixit has given its suggestion where Samsung can extend the plastic layer until underneath the slim plastic frame. This will prevent the Galaxy Fold protective layer to peel off easily. Other than that, iFixit also has provided us a closer look at the hinge design. Samsung adds two hinges to the Galaxy Fold where one is on the top and the other one is at the bottom. This hinges can absorb the torsion force.

Each half of the display is adhered to a thin metal support plate, which in turn is adhered to the phone's frame. This leaves the center spine free of adhesive for a wider-radius fold.
Next up: the magic hinge that makes all of the engineering wizardry possible. Let's count it down:

In conclusion, we hope by delaying the launch of the Galaxy Fold, Samsung will take its time to strengthen the display protection. Let’s see whether Samsung fix this issue in the final commercial unit. Apart from that, Samsung has also said they will update the launch date of the Galaxy Fold sooner. For now, you can check the complete teardown of the Samsung Galaxy Fold on the iFixit website.

Raaj Lokanathan
Raaj Lokanathan
A software engineer as a profession. A tech blogger as a passion.

1 COMMENT

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Must Read