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Unfolding the future?

After a five-month delay, the $2,000 Galaxy Fold arrives in the US on Friday [Updated]

Five months of investigation and fixes later, the Galaxy Fold is ready for retail.

Ron Amadeo – | 153
The Galaxy Fold in many colors. Credit: Samsung
The Galaxy Fold in many colors. Credit: Samsung
Story text
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
The (new and improved) Galaxy Fold.
Samsung
The (new and improved) Galaxy Fold. Samsung
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
Let's talk about what's different. As a refresher, here's what the phone looks like on the inside.
Samsung
Let's talk about what's different. As a refresher, here's what the phone looks like on the inside. Samsung
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
The hinge area has been redesigned. That "T" shaped object is a new "protection cap."
Samsung / Ron Amadeo
The hinge area has been redesigned. That "T" shaped object is a new "protection cap." Samsung / Ron Amadeo
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
The shape of the spine in the hinge is different now. Presumably this results in a smaller ingress point.
Samsung / Ron Amadeo
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung is adding "additional metal layers underneath the Infinity Flex Display" which seems like something that should make the phone a bit thicker. This render seems to indicate that thickness will be in the frame around the phone, which now has a wider beveled area.
Samsung / Ron Amadeo
Malfunctioning phone-tablet device.
The Verge's Galaxy Fold review unit had something press against the back side of the screen, killing several rows of pixels.
The Verge
Malfunctioning phone-tablet device.
Steve Kovach of CNBC had his Galaxy Fold die right along the display crease.
Steve Kovach
Malfunctioning phone-tablet device.
A tweet from Mark Gurman: "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."
Mark Gurman
Malfunctioning phone-tablet device.
From YouTuber Marques Brownlee: "PSA: There's a layer that appears to be a screen protector on the Galaxy Fold's display. It's NOT a screen protector. Do NOT remove it. I got this far peeling it off before the display spazzed and blacked out. Started over with a replacement."
Marques Brownlee
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
iFixit pointed out design flaws, like the exposed screen edge around the hinge.
iFixit
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
This thin plastic bezel is the only thing keeping the display on, but it stops around the hinge area.
iFixit
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
The hinge also contains a ton of ingress points.
iFixit
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
iFixit's theory is that the plethora of ingress points would allow debris to get under the display, which would press through the display and damage it.
The Verge
Pictures of the Galaxy Fold.
iFixit also asked: if this display protector shouldn't be removed, why doesn't it go under the display bezel, like the other display layers?
iFixit

Update 2:28pm ET September 24, 2019: The Verge unboxed a newly retail-ready Galaxy Fold, and one of the perks is a one-time out-of-warranty screen replacement for $149 for users who purchase a Fold in 2019. Considering Samsung charges $269 to replace the screen on a Galaxy S10+, there's a good chance the company is losing money anytime someone takes this screen replacement deal. The price for the cutting-edge 7.3-inch folding OLED smartphone display is probably astronomical.

Anyone buying a Galaxy Fold is probably worried about the phone's well-cataloged durability issues. Is knowing you'll get a discounted screen replacement enough to help you take the plunge?

Original Story: The Galaxy Fold is finally launching in the United States this Friday, September 27. After a launch failure the company CEO called "embarrassing," Samsung's futuristic foldable smartphone will come to the US after a five-month delay. The company made the news official in a press release today.

The Galaxy Fold was supposed to be a triumph of Samsung engineering. The company spent six years and over 100 million dollars to leverage its OLED display leadership into a new smartphone form factor: the foldable smartphone. The idea was a phone with a flexible OLED display stretched over top of a hinge, allowing the phone to actually fold in half. The device would be smartphone-sized when you wanted a phone and a tablet when you wanted a bigger device.

Once Samsung's early reviewers got their hands on the device though, numerous dead screens popped up. The causes ranged from dust ingress destroying the screen from the inside to reviewers peeling off the top layer of the screen. Samsung took the device back to the drawing board, and after a few tweaks, it thinks the Fold is ready for the general market.

While Samsung is the undisputed king of sales and distribution in the Android world, the Galaxy Fold does not sound like it will be widely available. First, AT&T is the only carrier supporting this re-launch. Both Verizon and Sprint have never opted to carry the Galaxy Fold, and T-Mobile—which was originally scheduled to carry the device—dropped out after the durability issues cropped up.

Two versions of the phone will be out there, then: an "AT&T" version, and an "Unlocked" version, which you can still bring to whichever carrier you want. Samsung's press release says the phone will be available at "select AT&T stores, select Best Buy stores, and Samsung Experience Store retail locations." After reaching out to Samsung, we were told the phone will be sold online at ATT.com and BestBuy.com, too. But it seems like Samsung will not sell the phone directly on its website.

If you do actually choose to spend nearly $2,000 on the Galaxy Fold, you'll have access to "Galaxy Fold Premier Service," which Samsung's press release describes as "an elevated concierge experience to help you explore and grow accustomed to this sophisticated technology." The release continues: "With Galaxy Fold Premier Service, you will have the opportunity to consult with a Fold Concierge who will walk you through the Galaxy Fold, the in-box materials, and the included accessories." In addition to doing basic setup tasks for you, your "Fold Concierge" will "demonstrate how to use the Galaxy Fold's key features and will guide you on how to take care of your new device."

"How to take care of your new device" is probably the main inspiration behind the in-person setup. Some of Samsung's early reviewers accidentally damaged the phone due to a lack of understanding about how the device was constructed. They removed the top layer of the display thinking it was packaging material, but it turned out to be a critical layer of the display.

After the incident, Samsung said it would add messaging to the Galaxy Fold packaging, and now—with what is probably a very small projected customer base—Samsung will have an actual person walk people through the Dos and Don'ts of babying their new foldable smartphone. The company already posted a "Caring for your Galaxy Fold" video on YouTube, with tips like "Just use a light touch" and "Keep free of water and dust."

At $2,000, you should probably not buy a Galaxy Fold, but it's an important first step toward more mature foldable smartphones. Durability is currently an issue, but flexible glass covers should help alleviate that in a few years. The sky-high price is an issue, but again, that's something the march of technology can solve with time.

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Ron Amadeo Reviews Editor
Ron is the Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he specializes in Android OS and Google products. He is always on the hunt for a new gadget and loves to rip things apart to see how they work. He loves to tinker and always seems to be working on a new project.
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