When the Samsung Galaxy Fold was first unveiled alongside the Galaxy S10 smartphones, the company didn’t provide hands-on time to the press to interact with the device, which is a norm. This raised speculations that the South Korean behemoth still needs time to perfect the device before releasing it in April. Yesterday, a leaked video of the Galaxy Fold further solidified those concerns, as the footage showed that the inner display has a visible crease in the middle. Apparently, that was a test device, which means there is still hope that the final unit won’t have a wrinkly display.
The Galaxy Fold Shown in the Leaked Video Has Apparently Been Subjected to Rigorous Testing in the Past Few Months
According to XDA Developers’ Max Weinbach, the Galaxy Fold in the leaked video was actually an ATT test device which was being used to check if the software is fine and the apps work properly on the device. The unit apparently looked battered because folks over at Samsung have been using it for months to test out the internals and the software. Moreover, test devices do not really need a perfect display.
Related Galaxy Fold Appears in Latest Hands-on Video With an ‘Eye-Sore’ Screen Crease That’s Right in the Middle of the Display
Weinbach says that he found this out after talking to someone who carries out similar tests. The person handling the device in question apparently tests the device at different towers to check the cellular collection. He has presumably been fired for his negligence as not only did he make that video, he also took the phone out of its security cover.
Just so you all know, that Galaxy Fold video that leaked… the Fold in that video is a ATT test device. They use it to make sure that they apps work and their software is fine. They have a specific list of apps they can and can’t install. Everything is logged.
— Max Weinbach (@mweinbachXDA) March 20, 2019
Samsung has been working on the foldable form factor for many years now and you can’t expect the number one smartphone maker in the world to release a half baked product, that too at a price point of $1,980. Although the finished device might have a slight, indiscernible crease, it would most likely be not visible all the time. Even the Huawei Mate X apparently has a display crease, and so will other first-generation foldable phones most likely.
Since the crease would be hardly visible, it isn’t expected to be much of an issue. At the same time, Corning is working on foldable glass technology, which will allow manufacturers to incorporate tempered glass instead of plastic to prevent the formation of visible creases over time.
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