Samsung to Release Galaxy Fold, For Real This Time
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After a giant head-fake and public relations disaster involving cracked and damaged screens, Samsung (SSNLF) on Thursday announced that its high-end Galaxy Fold will be available in select markets beginning in September.
Samsung said it plans to re-release the phone following "necessary improvements" and "rigorous tests," including tweaking the design and strengthening the phone's hinge area, the part of the phone that some test reviewers both said -- and demonstrated -- was defective.
The foldable phone, which will retail for $1,980, was originally slated to hit stores in April, but Samsung quickly halted those plans after reports from early test users in the media showed how quickly the devices broke.
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The 4.6 inch-smartphone's key selling point is that it opens up into a 7.3-inch tablet. But reviewers complained of several problems, including defective hinges and broken screens, after they mistook the Fold's protective film for a disposable shield and removed it.
Samsung had been planning on selling 1 million Galaxy Fold handsets this year, the equivalent of less than half a percent of the 291.3 million smartphones it sold in 2018. But the phones were expected to test demand for a significant new form innovation for smartphones.
Meantime, rival Apple undefined will reportedly be unveiling three new iPhone 11 models in September.
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