Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. today said its troubled Galaxy Fold foldable handset will launch in September, five months after the date when the device was originally supposed to hit stores.

The phonemaker had to push back the release after reviewers reported issues with their test units. There were more than a half-dozen cases of the Galaxy Fold’s primary 7.2-inch display breaking down, which rendered the device unusable.

Soon after, it emerged that there were not one but two separate issues causing the malfunctions. Some reviewers peeled off a thin plastic layer on the display that looked like a removable screen protector but turned out to be an integral part of the display’s structure. The other, more serious problem was that debris could enter the case through the hinge in the middle of the display, which is the mechanism that allows the Galaxy Fold to convert from a table to a smartphone.

Samsung’s engineers have spent the past few months working away at these issues. The Galaxy Fold units that will launch in September will feature a revised design with new protections against screen malfunctions.

Originally, the plastic layer on the display didn’t fully cover it from end to end, which contributed to the impression that it’s removable. Samsung has extended the film “beyond the bezels” to avoid confusion. The company also added debris-blocking protection caps to the top and bottom of the hinge along with additional metal layers beneath the display, which are presumably meant to keep it functional in case foreign substances somehow still enter the case.

Samsung said the redesigned Galaxy Model is currently undergoing final quality tests. The company didn’t specify exactly when in September users can expect to get their hands on their device, but it did disclose that the original $1,980 retail price will remain the unchanged.

The market reception to the Galaxy Fold will likely be closely watched in the mobile industry. Several rival phone makers, Apple Inc. reportedly among them, are developing foldable devices in a bid to rekindle consumer demand amid stagnated global handset sales. Samsung is said to be working on a new generation of foldable handsets as well, including a device described as sporting a flip-phone-inspired design. 

Photo: Samsung