Samsung says it has fixed the Galaxy Fold Foldable Phone and will release it in September 2019

Samsung has announced today that it has made “improvements” to protect the Galaxy Fold’s screen and will begin selling the folding phone soon.

Four months after the company delayed the retail launch of the phone, Samsung now says the Galaxy Fold Foldable Phone will be available for purchase at an unspecified date in September. Samsung has confirmed the price will remain the same as before: $1,980.

Here’s what Samsung says it has changed on the new version of the Galaxy Fold:

The top protective layer of the Infinity Flex Display has been extended beyond the bezel, making it apparent that it is an integral part of the display structure and not meant to be removed.

Galaxy Fold features additional reinforcements to better protect the device from external particles while maintaining its signature foldable experience.

The top and bottom of the hinge area have been strengthened with newly added protection caps. Additional metal layers underneath the Infinity Flex Display have been included to reinforce the protection of the display. The space between the hinge and body of Galaxy Fold has been reduced.

Extending the “protective layer” is maybe the most important thing Samsung could have done, as many reviewers thought it was a screen protector and tried to peel it off, damaging the screen. The “additional reinforcements” to protect against “external particles” is likely to prevent the issue we experienced on our own review unit — we suspect debris got in through the hinge and damaged the screen from behind. The same may go for the reduction of the space between the hinge and the body.

Here is a comparison of the two versions of the Fold, with the new one on the left. They’re not very different at first glance!

You can really see the difference in this detail image — the new version is the one in front, positioned below the old one. There’s an extra piece inside the hinge, which would likely prevent debris from getting in and wedging itself under the screen:

And here’s a comparison of the back of the hinge. Again, the new design is in front. Whatever Samsung has changed here, it’s very subtle, at least in these press images:

The original Galaxy Fold very nearly made it to market, but review units — including ours — started developing serious hardware problems almost immediately. More

By Dieter Bohn@backlon  https://www.theverge.com