Update, 4:20 p.m. ET: We've posted our full Galaxy Fold review so you can check out the pros and cons ahead of its release.
After postponing the Samsung Galaxy Fold launch for an indefinite period due to various reviewers’ reports of breaking screens, the Korean company is reportedly retrieving all samples of the device.
The company hasn’t asked for our Fold yet, but we signed a short-term loan agreement and expect to hand our unit back shortly.
According to Reuters, the Seoul-based electronics giant will investigate what has happened with these units. So far, the company has claimed that the issues could be the result of impact on exposed areas of the hinges.
MORE: 7 Most Surprising Things About the Samsung Galaxy Fold (Good and Bad)
In two of the reported cases, the problems came after the reviewer removed the top layer of the display thinking it was a simple screen protector. Another blogger claims that the bulge on his Fold may be related to a piece of debris that got caught between the hinge and the screen.
The reviewer fiasco has been a public relations disaster, the “worst possible start to the foldable phone revolution.” Although it is worth noting that only four bloggers have reported the breaking screens. Our review unit hasn’t experienced any screen problem whatsoever, and in our review of the Galaxy Fold, we saw some promising hints of what folding phones can do, even if the Fold itself is nowhere near ready for wider user.
Samsung does need to address these embarrassing reports. A $1,980 phone has to be flawless for everyone. The company has offered a statement with not much substance and analysts are nervous that this may indicative of general troubles whenever the phone ships to the general public.
But still, despite this public relations debacle, foldable phones will rise. I maintain my prediction: the Fold will be a huge success — if Samsung can offer a convincing explanation for the problems and a clear fix. Meanwhile, Huawei is laughing at all this while they get ready for the June launch of their own foldable, the Mate X.
