Samsung has postponed the rollout of its Galaxy Fold smartphone, meaning it won't launch on April 26 anymore. The company plans to announce a new release date "in the coming weeks."
This delay comes hot on the heels of review units of the device breaking in the hands of several tech reporters and popular influencers, just a few days after they were sent.
Galaxy Fold Postponed
As reported by CNET, Samsung has confirmed the setback in a statement.
"[W]e have decided to delay the release of the Galaxy Fold. We plan to announce the release date in the coming weeks."
The company also sent emails to those who preordered the device. It says that it'll provide an update "with more specific shipping information in two weeks." It's also giving customers the option to cancel if they no longer want the Galaxy Fold, and it's not charging their credit cards either until the device ships.
According to the South Korean brand's investigation, there was an issue with the top and bottom parts of the "exposed areas of the hinge," as well as substances getting inside and messing with the display.
No Galaxy Fold Yet
The Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung had to delay the Galaxy Fold's launch because of "technical problems," which aligns with the smartphone maker's official announcement.
This also follows numerous reports of the company canceling launch events and such related to the device.
SamMobile said that Samsung called off an event in China because of issues with the venue, but reliable tipster Ice Universe also mentioned that it canceled two local activities. This led to speculations that there were problems with the hardware instead of the venue.
Engadget Chinese editor Richard Lai also confirmed that Galaxy Fold launch events in Hong Kong and Shanghai were canceled too.
It should be mentioned that not all review units Samsung sent out broke. Some are still working, and only a handful had major issues, most of which were because of reviewers removing the polymer layer that the device needs to function properly. In the testers' defense, though, the coating looked a lot like a normal plastic screen protector, and there were no clear warning labels that it shouldn't be peeled off.
