This Teardown Shows All Of The Galaxy Fold’s Flaws

Samsung Galaxy Fold has flaws and has been delayed, that is what we all know. Many people have come up with their own explanation of why the phone broke down but so far, what iFixit provided is arguably the most credible. They have torn the phone down so that we can see what the inside looks like. They also pointed out that Samsung has to give up a fundamental feature when they manufacture the phone, which might be the cause of its breakdown.

It seems like Samsung focused a lot of its effort on making sure that the hinge can withstand a large number of folding and unfolding times without showing creases or damages. However, for some unknown reasons, it is still vulnerable to debris. The screen also inherits the disadvantage of any OLED without the protection of a layer of Gorilla Glass, which is the dedication without a protective measure. Taking that risk was a bad move for Samsung as at least three reviewers had noticed bulge forming after just a few days of use, and one of the bulges has totally damaged the screen.

We have not found out about a more pressing issue that led to Samsung’s decision to delay the release to an unknown day in the future. However, the company confirmed that those who have preordered the Galaxy Fold will have what they asked for and Samsung would inform them about that specific date shortly.

One more thing, some reviewers have peeled a film protector off, which might be the reason why their screens seem odd, but the bulges are much more serious and should have more attention.

iFixit after examining the phone inside out, concluded that the hinge alone had no problem, in fact, it was designed quite well. The company also proves the same in a video it released before the scheduled launching date showing their Galaxy Fold can come out of being folded and unfolded for more than 200,000 times intact. According to iFixit, there are two types of hinges, one is in charge of distributing force evenly so that the two screens open concurrently, and the other helps ease the effect of torsion force.

The hinge might be robust and competent but it can still be damaged by dust. There is a gap measuring 7 mm between the edge and the screen where debris can get in easily. There should have been some kind of a rail to keep dust out.

However, dust is not the most pressing issue with the phone. That position belongs to the gap on the back of the hinge. iFixit said that the gaps were so big that it would definitely attract dirt. Apple has added a silicon layer on the keyboard of the MacBook and reaps some success, maybe Samsung can do the same for the Galaxy Fold.

Samsung has not made any comment on what actually behind the breakdown of the sample phones but what we know now is its current foldable phone has nothing to protect it from the penetration of dust and debris. The Galaxy Fold does not have an IP rating for dust and whatever Samsung is doing, it should do something about it.

The rest of the teardown shows the usual stuff that you can find in most similar videos, which are things like battery rating, repair-hostile adhesive, and chips. However, there is still a lot to watch and explore. There is a whole new kind of technology that went into the inside and outside of the phone to make it foldable, the things we cannot find in any other phone on the market at the moment.