Fail Galaxy Fold: iFixit disassembled smartphone for verification

Already on all news channels and thematic sites was information that the Korean company Samsung

indefinitely postponed the start of salesyour new folding smartphone with a flexible Galaxy Fold display. The reason was the problem with most observers, to whom the manufacturer provided a machine for pre-sales testing and review on their channels. The novelty went out of order (many were silent, only representatives of major publications spoke) in just a couple of days of use.

Why does the Galaxy Fold break

The most famous companydisassembling and repairing gadgets - iFixit. During their investigation, the team found out the probable reasons for the not very good reliability of the smartphone. It is clear that only some users will consider their opinion as expert, for official representatives these are only assumptions. However, these assumptions are not from scratch, they are based on the experience of more than a decade of disassembling, repairing a variety of gadgets, including all expensive devices of world brands.

Display

To begin with, it is worth noting that the OLED panel itselfquite a fragile thing, they are much thinner than conventional IPS matrices, and if they fail, then, as a rule, completely, and not locally, like LCD panels. A miserable crack in the protective layer can cause rapid damage to the organic components inside. OLED requires special protection, the panel does not even withstand disassembly, that is, it rarely suffers separation from the rest of the screen (touch panel).

In addition, OLED is afraid of dust, and if it hitsunder protection, the screen will definitely have problems, and in the photos you can see that before the breakdown there are gaps near the hinges through which the dust is very easy to get. Also, some testers and reviewers noted that after a couple of hours, a clear bulge appears on the bend, in some cases not one. They are clearly visible when the smartphone is fully opened. There, too, gets dust, which leads to damage to the panel.

Protective film

Officially, Samsung called one of the reasons for the problemsremoving the protective film. A special polymer layer was glued to the panel as an integral component of the screen. However, some testers decided that this is a regular transport film, as on conventional smartphones, and removed it. When you remove the pressure on the screen is strong, and it is damaged. Already after the fact, the company warned that no films can be removed. At the same time, the polymer film does not look like part of the display, its edges stick out like a normal protective polyethylene.

Robot tests

Samsung showed a video in whichshowed testing of the smartphone with special robotized installations. Cycles to open the closing of the smartphone withstand up to two hundred thousand. But only the car makes it neatly, ideally verified movement, while a person often puts not even efforts. It turns out that robot tests cannot guarantee reliability, since they do not take into account the actual conditions of use and folding of the smartphone. In addition, the rooms where the devices were tested are perfectly clean, there is no dust, which can quickly stick to the hinges. And if you press on the area where dust has accumulated under the protective film, the screen will be damaged immediately. However, from the extension until not broken, no instance.

Fuzzy face

The smartphone does not provide a clear face, placefold, each time the user folds it with a different effort, presses on different areas, and the fold lines turn out different. If the display is equally plastic everywhere, this is normal, but if not, then cracks will quickly appear with corresponding consequences.

The company has already withdrawn almost all of its smartphones to determine the causes of problems, most likely, they will sort it out and fix it, because a $ 2,000 gadget should at least be reliable.

Galaxy Fold disassembly

Disassembly revealed that the alleged problem withdust, lack of protection against its ingress, is the main cause of damage. The company is still engaged in the reliability of the hinge, lost sight of this moment. In general, the disassembly showed that the first folding smartphone is quite fragile, and it is easy enough to break it when used carelessly.

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