Samsung shipped the Galaxy Fold to reviewers — and the screens broke in their hands

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Fold in February 2019, a $1,980 smartphone with a foldable screen — the first major foldable phone from a top-tier manufacturer. The device was a statement of technological leadership, and Samsung sent review units to journalists and influencers ahead of the April launch.

Within days, reviewers reported that the screens were cracking, bubbling and failing. Some had removed a protective film that Samsung had not clearly identified as structural. Others experienced failures without any user error. The images of broken $2,000 phones went viral, and Samsung was forced to delay the launch by five months.

Samsung recalled the review units, redesigned the hinge and screen protection, and relaunched in September 2019. The delayed launch cost Samsung the first-mover narrative, and Huawei's Mate X foldable launched around the same time. The case illustrated the danger of shipping a first-generation product to the most critical audience — reviewers — before the engineering is fully mature.