Samsung Galaxy Fold: iFixit has pulled its teardown of the device. (Image source: AP)The Samsung Galaxy Fold drama shows no signs of ending. After Samsung has officially delayed release of the product because review units developed problems with the display, the iFixit teardown of the Galaxy Fold has been taken down. iFixit confirmed on their website they were taking down the teardown after a request from Samsung, though this was made via trusted partner who had provided the review unit.
iFixit is known for its teardown of popular products, from Apple’s iPhones to Samsung’s latest devices to laptops, and rating them on how easy it would be to repair these products. The iFixit teardown of any new product is usually waited by tech fans, given it often gives an in-depth look inside any new device. In case of the Galaxy Fold, iFixit’s teardown appeared to show that the phone did not have enough protection for debris damaging the screen.
In its statement,iFixit says, “After two days of intense public interest, iFixit has removed our teardown of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold. That analysis supported our suspicions that the device provided insufficient protection from debris damaging the screen.
We were provided our Galaxy Fold unit by a trusted partner. Samsung has requested, through that partner, that iFixit remove its teardown. We are under no obligation to remove our analysis, legal or otherwise. But out of respect for this partner, whom we consider an ally in making devices more repairable, we are choosing to withdraw our story until we can purchase a Galaxy Fold at retail.”
The statement adds that iFixit is “grateful to have shared a glimpse of how Samsung’s engineers addressed some of those challenges, and we look forward to sharing more as soon as possible.”
According to The Verge, which had published details from the iFixit teardown, before it was taken down, it looked like the Galaxy Fold’s OLED display did not have enough protection against debris collecting inside, which could explain why so many reviewers reported problems with the phone’s display.
The iFixit teardown had pointed out that gaps on the back of the hinge were the biggest problem, which would “definitely attract dirt.” One should also note that the Galaxy Fold does not come with a specific IP rating for dust protection.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Fold’s new release date is June 13?
The Galaxy Fold launch was officially delayed after reports starting coming in of problems with the display. In case of some reviewers like Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman the damage to the screen took place because they removed the top layer, thinking it was a screen protector, when it was actually part of the display. Samsung had not warned them to remove this from the display, but later said it would print a warning for actual customers.
However, in case of other reviewers like The Verge‘s Dieter Bohn the display developed a bulge around the hinge, indicating that it was damaged. The issue also occurred with several other reviewers, and caused Samsung to pull back the units and eventually delay the launch.
The Galaxy Fold when it was announced, was pitched as the phone of the future given the foldable display, and had a price tag of $1980.
