Expected for a long time, Google’s folding smartphone is finally available. The Pixel Fold, in direct competition with the phones in the Fold range from Samsung, is not yet off to a flying start.
It has already been five years since the concept of a folding smartphone emerged. Contrary to what one might think, it was not a Samsung, but a Chinese brand little known to us: Royole. The real global success of this concept came a year later, with the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. After years of waiting, the equivalent from Google has just arrived in the hands of customers who pre-ordered it for $1,800. Barely available, screen breakages are already reported by users.
First signs of trouble
In five years, flexible OLED screen technology has greatly improved. At least with the models already existing on the market. For the Pixel Fold, the song doesn’t sound similar. Although many users seem satisfied, others report broken interior screens after a few hours of operation.
Ron Amadeo, a former editor at Android Police shared his experience with the device online. In four days of use, a whole part of the interior screen of his Pixel Fold no longer worked. According to him, the problem would come from the fact that the smartphone folds completely flat, face to face. What its competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, does not do, which leaves a few millimeters of space between the two screens. For him, this design promotes the bursting of micro-debris in the OLED film, which would damage the area between the edge of the phone and the screen protector.
Other users regret the sudden appearance of anomalies on their screens: pink lines that cross the surface of the screen, screen protector that comes apart in the folding area or irregularities in the display on one side of the screen. screen.
Common problems in the folding smartphone industry
It is important to note however that these problems are not new in the production of this type of smartphone. Many other models have had similar issues. The very design of these particular screens necessarily leads to the emergence of new technical problems. Models like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, Huawei Mate X or the very recent Galaxy Fold 4 were also affected, but to a lesser extent.
These displays regularly experience durability issues due to their more fragile design. The folding mechanism can also have defects and wear out prematurely. The panel itself presents defects more regularly than conventional panels: dead pixels, lines or a drop in brightness.
What is most worrying in the case of the Pixel Fold is that it should logically benefit from all the progress accumulated since the arrival of this type of phone on the market. The release of this one is immediately accompanied by negative reports on its build quality and which point to significant malfunctions. For a launch, we have seen better.
We cannot say that Google hit hard by releasing its Pixel Fold. Positioned as a premium range smartphone, the first returns are, for the moment, really not satisfactory. Expected for years, it seems to disappoint many users. For $1,800, a smartphone that gives up in four days is slightly shameful.
Sources: 9to5google, Android Police, Google
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