- [Narrator] You probably already know the story,
but just in case, let me get you up to speed.
November 2018, Samsung teases it's first folding phone.
February 2019, it's officially announced.
Early April, it hits reviewers' hands,
and by mid-April, it starts breaking.
Like, a lot.
Late April, Samsung delays pre-orders,
recalls, review units, and announces plans
to redesign the hardware to fix those issues.
And today, at IFA 2019, in early September,
I finally get to go hands-on with what I sincerely hope
is the final fix
because this is the redesigned Samsung Galaxy Fold
and it starts shipping tomorrow.
(upbeat music)
Of the three major problems Samsung had
to fix with the Fold, the first was probably the easiest,
and it's probably the one you've heard the most about.
See, in the initial batch of phones,
the display had an integrated top layer
that looked kinda like a factory installed screen protector,
and when some reviewers peeled it off,
they found that doing so permanently damaged the display.
So, in the redesign,
that layer has been extended all the way
past the edges underneath the bezel,
so there's no more peeling this one off.
Second, is the problem that I believe
is what ended up torpedoing my first Fold,
some piece of debris found its way up under my screen,
causing a permanent dimple,
and it probably made its way in there
through the big gap in the hinge.
So, for fix number two, Samsung reduced the space
between the hinge and body,
and it sealed up the gaps at top and bottom of the phone
with end caps,
so foreign objects should now have a harder time
finding their way into the interior.
The third and final fix
is the toughest to show you on video
but probably my favorite to test
in the short time I had with the phone.
See, beneath the display,
Samsung has added an additional metal component
to stiffen the phones frame.
This isn't detectable until you open it
to its fully deployed position.
The screen now kind of locks into place
with a more definitive click.
And while it's still possible to accidentally jolt it
out of tablet mode,
it's significantly tougher to do so.
Now, here's what hasn't changed,
almost everything else.
See, it's tempting to look at a redesign like this
as a cure all, but look, the Galaxy Fold
is still a one of a kind device
with first generation quirks.
That gutter, or the permanent crease in the display,
it might be less noticeable,
thanks to the tightened chassis,
but it's still here.
The display cover material is still very soft plastic
because, you know, it has to bend.
And, of course, the tiny screen on the outside
and gigantic notch on the inside,
they haven't gone anywhere.
As a matter of fact,
there's even been a downgrade in the form
of reduced customization.
Those stunning green and blue color options are gone now,
with only black and silver available.
The point is, if the Fold wasn't for you before,
it won't be now.
This redesign is a fix
that makes the original concept workable,
not a panacea for every complaint.
But that frenzy you've probably picked up in my eyes,
it's not just because I was only given 40 minutes
with this thing today,
it's because I've been waiting four months
to get it back.
While it still screams prototype,
I'm convinced the Galaxy Fold
is the emissary of an inevitable foldable future,
and I'm more eager than ever to finally try
that future on for size.
It's shipping starting September 6th in Korea,
and across the globe later this month.
Please subscribe to the channel
so you don't miss my review when it eventually arrives,
and if you're pre-ordering a Galaxy Fold,
save yourself from all the fingerprints you just saw
in my sweaty hands-on.
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