Galaxy Fold Loss Can Benefit Rivals In The Foldable Phone Game

After the surfacing of five reports on broken review devices and the official delay on the launch of the $2,000 Galaxy Fold, the Korean giant seems to be in trouble. But rivals in the foldable phone race like Huawei and Motorola may see this as an opportunity.

They are closely watching Samsung’s every move, taking notes, while making their backup plans in case buyers turn cold or to boost themselves as true successes of the foldable phone by avoiding Samsung’s mistakes.

Galaxy Fold

The three companies refused to give comments. On Monday, the Korean phone maker said that they appreciate that customers trust them, that's their top priority, and they wanted to thank customers for that.

By delaying launching the Galaxy Fold after rushing to become the first to sell a premium foldable smartphone, Samsung is seriously ruining its own reputation while overshadowing other achievements of the device.

On the other hand, the Mate X from Huawei is coming close after the Galaxy Fold with the promise for 5G speeds and innovative designs. At the same time, the RAZR flip from Motorola is likely to fold vertically. Both of these upcoming devices can benefit from Samsung’s delay.

What benefits do they get?

Huawei Mate X

Samsung has promised to improve the display, as in its Monday statement:

If this is not enough, customers' interest in the phone may reduce as well as in foldable phones in general. But even in that case, rivals can still make people change their minds.

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold is meant to be a luxury, high-end product that does not go to the mass market. It is likely that early buyers get the phone to test apps or as a status symbol. Others consider the phone as the answer to their long-asked question of whether the foldable phone is the future or just an unnecessary device.

Motorola concept for RAZR foldable phone

However, if Huawei’s Mate X and Motorola’s RAZR flip phone enter the market, with good designs and screens that work perfectly, they can prove how good a foldable phone can get. Currently, these phones still have flaws in operation, so at this early stage of the game, it’s about who sticks.

Bear in mind that foldable phones are totally a new thing and the mistakes surface so that we can find out what works and what does not. So Samsung may have done its rival a favor by coming to consumers first, before Apple, LG, Motorola, and Huawei.

There are three screen problems, not just one

The phone screen had issues within a few days of use

One, Samsung failed to clearly warn users against removing the protective film covering the phone screen, causing the display to break instantly.

Two, there is debris underneath the display resulting in a bulge and distortion.

Three, the left half of the phone display just mysteriously flickered.

What should Samsung do now?

The delay has several impacts on the company. This makes spectators question if the company underestimates the quality control when it rushes to release the first foldable phone.

But the delay also shows that Samsung is taking the issues seriously, giving it some time to fix the problems and give customers a meaningful apology.

The phone maker is also working to make it clearer to customers which plastic films to remove and which not, along with ways to reinforce the display. And Samsung has only one last chance to make things right.