Shortly after Samsung's new Galaxy Note 4 was disseminated across China and South Korea, the phone has been the subject of a controversy worthy of its own hashtag.
The company, which is fresh off piling on the criticism that Apple has received over its "#Bendgate" issue, received a dose of karma as customer complaints mount over what has come to be known as "#Gapgate."
Earlier this week, users reported finding a gap between the screen and the metal frame of Samsung's latest phablet. Customers claimed that the space, which can reportedly hold a business card, may be the entry way for dust and liquid to get into the smartphone.
Samsung has now responded to the reports, and it is reassuring users that the gap is really not an issue. According to the company, the space is not a factory defect; it is perfectly normal and has appeared in previous Samsung devices.
To back up its claims, the company pointed critics towards the lengthy product manual for the European Galaxy Note 4. The documentation, which was released about a day after the #Gapgate hashtag started littering people's Twitter feeds, addressed the issue and gave people advice on what problems actually merit service requests for the device. According to Android Central, Samsung mentioned the gap on page 180 of the document. The entry, which was under the manual's "troubleshooting" section, reads:
A small gap appears around the device case.
- This gap is a necessary manufacturing feature and some minor rocking or vibration of parts may occur.
- Over time, friction between parts may cause this gap to expand slightly.
Samsung has yet to explain what the gap is actually for. However, the company insists that the space would not damage the device.
"The reported issue does not impact the functionality or quality of the Galaxy Note 4. We assure our customers that all Galaxy Note 4 units meet our strict manufacturing and quality control standards," a company spokesperson said.
The "Gapgate" issue comes after Samsung mocked the iPhone 6 Plus in a demo video. The video, which showed the Galaxy Note 4 withstanding the force generated by butt-shaped robots, was meant to ridicule Apple over user complaints about bent iPhone 6 Plus devices.
It is still not clear when the Galaxy Note 4 would be released in the United States. However, Samsung sold out the first 30,000 units of the model in its initial run.
