Samsung’s CEO called the launch of the Galaxy Fold “embarrassing” and admitted that he launched the troubled phone before it was ready for prime time.
The company’s foldable smartphone marked an exciting step forward in design – until review devices began to break after just a few days of use. Reviewers testing the device complained of issues with the screen, with some phones becoming completely unusable. Samsung recalled the device and delayed its April 25 launch date. It was embarrassing,” Koh told a small group of reporters, according to The Independent.
The Galaxy Fold, which would have been the first major release of a foldable smartphone, was supposed to come out in late April. But as reviewers started testing the phone in the weeks prior, several noticed that the screen could be easily destroyed, either by debris slipping in or by user error.
Koh attributed the rush to release the phone to increased competition from Chinese smartphone companies Huawei and Xiaomi, which both planned to release foldable smartphones of their own.
“I do admit I missed something on the foldable phone, but we are in the process of recovery,” he said. “At the moment, more than 2,000 devices are being tested right now in all aspects. We defined all the issues. Some issues we didn’t even think about, but thanks to our reviewers, mass volume testing is ongoing.”
After the screen issues, Samsung pushed out the Galaxy Fold’s launch date to May, then July, then before July – and now it’s not clear when the phone will come out. Koh said the release is still happening, but could not say when you’ll actually be able to buy a Galaxy Fold.
