Users already reporting issues with the phones plastic screen
The year may have just only started, but all the hype that surrounded foldable smartphones seems to have unceremoniously died down. 2020 was supposed to be a the start of a clean slate for the foldable after a disastrous 2019 that saw Samsung’s Galaxy Fold tank in spectacular fashion. The company was put on blast for rushing the device into production. The end product clearly wasn’t ready for the consumer market and Samsung acknowledged as much.
Now, given how the Galaxy Fold debacle unfolded, you’d expect Samsung’s next foldable device to not have the same problems, and everything looked good at launch, with tech writers having only positive things to say about the build of the device. Those positive remarks sadly didn’t last JerryRighEverything’s durability test, with the notable YouTuber questioning Samsung’s claims that the screen is made of glass. Add to this one case of the phone screen cracking and you can understand why we’re apprehensive about the phone.
Motorola on the other hand, had the benefit of watching Samsung’s Galaxy Fold fall apart from afar and early hands on looks at the device seemed to indicate that it was a superior foldable device. At this point, it’s safe to say that early hands on looks don’t really count for shit. The RAZR turned out to be more of a style statement than anything else and now, we’re getting the first reports of a problem with it’s screen.
Input’s Raymond Wong reports that the plastic OLED display for the RAZR the company purchased and reviewed is now peeling apart at the fold… after just a week of usage.
Keep in mind that the Motorola RAZR costs $1500 USD. That’s a hell of a lot of money for something of this quality. Not surprisingly, the area of the screen that’s affected now has limited functionality. If you’re wondering how on earth this happened, Wong isn’t sure either. He said that he’s yet to drop the phone nor has it ever been wet, moist or even near liquid.
He does speculate that it could be due to changes in temperature of the environment from using the phone out in the cold and then back in his warm apartment, and he might be on to something. Mashable reporter Brenda Stolyar too has some problems with the hinge on her device that could be due to the temperature.
this is 100% a thing. my room doesnt have a radiator (lmao) so i use a space heater that I turn off throughout the night. i let my razr charge overnight near my window where cold air comes thru n now the display is CRUNCHING every time I fold and unfold the phone:) it's awful https://t.co/u9l9Xs6qcC
— Brenda Stolyar (@BStoly) February 17, 2020
It’s sad to think that after all the hype that surrounded foldables for 2020, we’re left with two products that leave a bad taste in our mouths. Is the world ready for foldable smartphones? Of course. Sadly, foldable smartphones just aren’t ready for the world.