Redesigned Samsung Galaxy Fold units have totally new ways of breaking

Samsung Galaxy Fold
(Image credit: TechRada)

Consider the poor Samsung Galaxy Fold: it was launched in February alongside the Galaxy S10, durability problems were discovered in April, pre-orders were canceled in June, then Samsung spent months redesigning it – it's now available worldwide, but that might not be a good thing, as it seems the device is still prone to breaking.

That's according to a reviewer from TechCrunch, who found their Samsung Galaxy Fold screen broke after only a day of use. Notably, it didn't break in the same way displays on the original Fold did, suggesting this is a whole new problem the version two devices have.

The new Samsung Galaxy Fold used by the reviewer developed a spot in the center of the display where a large cluster of pixels broke, which likely became an inconvenience due to the central placement. 

According to the reviewer, it was likely caused by them pressing on the seam in order to close the device. While Samsung suggests using a light touch to open or close the foldable phone (which is already a daft enough idea given the idiosyncratic way most people turn on or off their phones), the reviewer asserts that they did so, which means the new Galaxy Fold broke even when the user was being careful.

In fact, Samsung issued a long list of ways to avoid breaking the device, which range from the obvious (don't leave objects in the phone as you close it) to the dubious (don't leave your Galaxy Fold next to credit cards or medical devices).

The new Samsung Galaxy Fold problem is certainly not as extensive as the original durability issues, and so far only one writer has reported the issues, so it might not be that widespread. However Samsung only had one job when re-designing the new Galaxy Fold, and that was to make sure it didn't break in a day's use – a job Samsung apparently failed at.

TechRadar hasn't encountered any problems in its use of the foldable phone so far, and you can expect our full Samsung Galaxy Fold review imminently.

Via 9to5Google

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Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.