The Samsung Galaxy Fold made news last week when several units broke just days after they were sent to reviewers. While some units were likely damaged by the removal of the Galaxy Fold's protective layer, other devices broke with that layer intact. Now a teardown has shed some light on what may have caused those other Folds to break.
A teardown by the folks at iFixit shows that the Galaxy Fold has a couple of gaps that, while they appear small, could definitely let some dirt and debris into the phone. When the Galaxy Fold is open, there's a 7mm gap at the bottom where the two halves meet. And when closed, there are gaps on either side of the spine that could also attract dirt, dust, and other unwanted particles.
When Samsung confirmed the Galaxy Fold's delay, it said that there was "an instance where substances found inside the device affected the display performance." And then yesterday, reviewer Michael Fisher found a particle of something below the Galaxy Fold's screen. With the gaps found in this teardown, it's easy to see how debris could find its way under the Galaxy Fold's display and cause issues, especially over an extended period of time for a typical owner.
iFixit also notes that while no Galaxy Fold devices have broken due to folding issues, if there is any debris inside the phone's hinge or under its screen protector, pressing on the display to close it could damage the screen enough to cause problems.
Samsung has said that it plans to strengthen the Galaxy Fold's display protection and offer better care and guidance on the care and use of the device for consumers. We'll have to wait and see exactly what improvements Samsung makes to the Fold, but hopefully it can figure out a way to prevent particles from getting under that big foldable display.
