After years of rumors, the Google Pixel Fold is finally reaching those who pre-ordered the phone. While most of those who spent $1,800 on the brand new foldable are likely to be generally happy with it, there are a troubling number of issues cropping up within days of release. Some people report cracked internal screens and problems with the pre-applied screen protector on it, some of it just a few hours after taking the phone out of the box.
The first incident that raised concerns was a unit review, with Android police alumnus Ron Amadeo posting not a review but a report on how his Pixel Fold unit quickly failed after just four days, with part of the internal screen rendered dead. In his case, he pinpoints the problem with the phone folding almost flush rather than leaving a gap like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. He suspects this has managed to give some small debris extra force to dig into the OLED film exposed, with it attacking the small gap between the Pixel Fold’s bezel and the screen protector, which doesn’t cover the entire display. These are all issues on other foldables sold internationally as well, so this may not be a design flaw unique to the Pixel.
This first report may have been an edge case, but other people who bought the device are responding with more complaints. The Verge spotted a worrying number of posts detailing the issues. There is a Redditor whose screen only started working hours after buying the phone, with a pink line extending across the inner panel. In contrast to Amadeo, who noticed physical debris damaging the screen, the Redditor says he couldn’t spot any visible damage.
Another Redditor also reports that their internal screen acted up within hours of using it, with the screen protector peeling and lifting in the crease area and some mysterious lines appearing on one side. After consulting Google support, which asked them to remove the protection, it appears that the screen under the protection itself suffered from shattering in what appears to be a flaw from the start.
One latest report is mostly just questions about overall durability, with the poster owning their device for a few hours and worrying about minor dings and blemishes in the screen protector.
People are definitely not convinced by the quality of the Pixel Fold, although if we look at the wider sector, Google’s foldable isn’t the only one having problems. We regularly hear about issues with the flexible screens of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4, with both of these devices also being much more sensitive than regular smartphones. However, the sudden influx of reports of broken Pixel Fold screens is concerning, especially given that the phone is just launched.
Google recommends that anyone affected by the issues contact support, and so far, the company seems to be doing a good job communicating with customers. Google also offers an automatic repair option, although it’s meant for out-of-warranty repairs. Mail and in-store service is also available. In the end, this just serves as another reminder that if you’re worried about smartphone durability, you might want to stick with a regular flagship smartphone.
Source: Google
Google Pixel Fold
Google Pixel Fold may have some issues and is pretty much a first generation product. If that doesn’t scare you and you’re looking forward to the Pixel experience on a foldable device, then the Pixel Fold is still the phone for you. Just be aware of the problems you may encounter.
#Google #Pixel #Fold #durability #issue