Strong reviews greeted the Google Pixel Fold’s introduction earlier this week, but it appears that some early adopters are already having issues with the company’s first foldable device’s damaged displays.
What exactly is the Issue?
Some users are uploading pictures of their inside screens shattering on Reddit after just one day of use. In a photo taken earlier today by user floatingOnTheFourth, the inner screen is split down the middle, with cracks extending outward.
Although neither of the two evaluation units supplied to CNET by Google had display cracking issues, Ron Amadeo of ArsTechnica reported earlier this week that his Google Pixel Fold’s screen had been harmed by a tiny piece of debris. Amadeo hypothesises that the pressure from the tiny speck caused his screen to crack because the screen protector for the internal display of the Google Pixel Fold does not completely enclose the OLED display underneath. Additionally, he ascribed this to the Pixel Fold folding fully flat and lacking any bumpers or railings that would have provided a tiny bit of extra space when the device was folded.
Google Pixel Fold Review: Watch Before You Buy!
Google Not Responding
Inner folding display problems are not unheard of. The Samsung Galaxy Fold and Flip series are two more foldable phones that have experienced problems with inner-screen peeling and other hinge-related breakdowns. The initial Galaxy Fold press samples had so many problems that Samsung had to postpone the device’s release.
Users on the Galaxy Fold subreddit continue to claim issues with their Galaxy Fold 4 and Galaxy Flip 4 devices, despite the fact that Samsung has been in the foldable phone business for four years and is preparing to introduce its next-generation foldable phones next month during its Samsung Unpacked event in Korea. Additionally, based on the comments, it appears that Samsung is no longer as eager to repair Fold 4 smartphones as it was for its earlier generations.
Foldable screens pose a challenging engineering challenge. The fragile displays are not protected by a glass barrier like they would be on a conventional smartphone. Instead, producers choose Ultra Thin Glass, a remarkably thin glass that enables folding at sharp angles. To better safeguard the UTG, manufacturers additionally include a plastic screen protector at the production. Even so, the screen may still be damaged if little pieces of debris manage to get past the UTG or plastic screen protector.
If you want to try mending any phone breakage concerns yourself, Google is making replacement parts for the Google Pixel Fold available on iFixit.
