The Samsung Galaxy Fold was one more dark page in the South Korean firm, And it is that after the fiasco of the Galaxy Note 7 and its explosive characteristics, it does not enter my head as they have been able to launch a premium range again that is practically broken by looking at it, we speak of course about the latest and foldable phone.
After the immediate collection of the terminals from the analysts due to the numerous failures that the terminal presented and that caused it to break irretrievably, Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Fold will arrive again with a good handful of fixes that would avoid a new international ridicule, what have you fixed in the Galaxy Fold?
The terminal, as you well know, was indefinitely delayed due to its durability and resistance problems. In fact, there are few who thought that the terminal would never be seen again, since Samsung did not give specific dates or too convincing explanations about it. This folding phone that would cost more than 2.000 euros was literally "out of the game". However, recently we have received the press release in which Samsung announces the return to the old ways of the Galaxy Fold during the month of September, once again without specific days, but everything indicates that definitely, in a few weeks we will be able to see Samsung's Galaxy Fold on the streets, but… what has Samsung fixed on this phone?
The protective film, properly hidden
Samsung's Galaxy Fold included a kind of protective film that gives it extra resistance. DWe must remember that obviously, the flexible panels are not protected by a glass, As with "normal" phones, this is why its resistance to bumps, scratches and "dings" is quite small. For this reason, and with the intention of giving the panel more rigidity, Samsung places a protective film, similar to the silicone protectors that we place on our iPhone to protect the screen.
This film, however, did not reach the edges of the terminal, it was slightly smaller and this made it visually "ugly", In addition to lacking any indication in this regard, analysts thought that it was indeed a screen saver. Analysts, as is my case at www.actualidadgadget.com, we often have the habit of removing these "protectors" to feel and see the screen as it should be. Well, some analysts chose to eliminate this film and the result was disastrous, the panel broke even in the withdrawal process, a real failure.
Now the plastic polymer film that gives the screen rigidity and resistance reaches the edges, so removing it is neither natural nor an easy task. In addition, Samsung warns that it will include details in the box that inform users of the risks involved in removing this protective film, which on the other hand, is a critical element of the Galaxy Fold like any other. This is the first resolution of the problem and one that, without a doubt, should never have left the design meetings wrongly.
The gaps in the hinge, dirt and resistance
The hinge, which can undoubtedly be the most delicate point of the terminal taking into account that it is the most exposed area of the terminal. On the hinge we find the panel completely bare, for a space of a few millimeters, but which in daily use can certainly be critical. This hinge that opens above and below the screen allows certain elements to "slip" inside, This, at the time of folding and closing it, can exert pressure, as well as wear on the components, and the result once again is: a broken screen.
Possibly this was the problem suffered by the unit analyzed in The Verge. Imagine going to the beach and using this Galaxy Fold in an environment where the sand is free. You already know the result, it will end up getting into that hole whether you want it or not. Now Samsung has reduced this gap quite a bit, another aspect that I can't quite understand how it came from the design room, if it is evident that they could have done it better, again the rush is bad advisers for the South Korean firm. In addition, the hinge has been reinforced with protection caps and various metal parts have been added to give the screen of the Galaxy Fold extra rigidity and resistance.
The user interface, another stone in the way
The user interface, as the few analysts who had access to the terminal certified, was also a tremendous headache. The applications were not adapted, the animations were slow and clumsy, so much so that it was not possible to understand such mediocre performance in a terminal that had the latest hardware. This of course, we comment from the point of view of the public, because in my case I have not had the Galaxy Fold in my hands yet, we hope to have it soon, but in the meantime we limit ourselves to reproducing the words of the analysts who did have that privilege.
These apps were not responding as fast or as well as Samsung promised. However, now the South Korean firm in the press release warns that a greater number of applications, both its own and third-party developers, have been optimized to make the user experience more comfortable and intuitive.
Are Flexible Phones The Future?
At the risk of appearing within five years in various Twitter threads due to the misconception of my statement, I believe that flexible phones are the future, neither in the short or medium term. These phones have a serious problem of durability and resistance, in a market, that of mobile telephony, which is stagnating at a dizzying rate. People use them more and more, looking for simplicity. Durability is already a serious issue with phones today, and Paying 2.000 euros for a terminal that almost breaks just by looking at it is not going to be a popular option now, or ever.