Not all innovations are immune to defects and obstacles on the way.
The most fitting example of the last few days is Samsung’s new overweight product, the Galaxy Fold. The first folding smartphone with an expandable screen was to be the precursor of a new range of latest generation mobile phones and the leader of a project that had already involved Apple and Huawei and had led LG to the creation of a similar prototype but with a significantly different mechanism. But the expectations did not turn out to be as rosy as the South Korean hi-tech house could have expected.
But what are these defects?
First of all, the cracks in the screen. A constant and, as can happen to all, careless use of the mobile phone has caused in these models of presentation of the obvious swellings or, in some cases, cracks in the expanded screen. All this after a few days from their first use.
Samsung have assured us that stress tests have detected damage to their first models after 200 thousand bends, about 100 per day for 5 years. Acceptable numbers, except that the specialized press have pointed out that the tests carried out in the laboratory are not sufficient to simulate the real wear of the products. Samsung’s response was quick and, while it announced some serious in-depth studies and new tests, has also contested certain uses. An example? That of Mark Gurman of Bloomberg who showed his Galaxy Fold with obvious damage to the screen, announcing the break after a day of normal use. From Korea, however, comes the answer: the film, which Gurman had removed, is not an accessory but an integral part of the smartphone. Removing it would, in fact, compromise its proper use.
However, this was not enough to justify the other damage found. Needless to say the news, immediately spread on the web and in specialized magazines, caused an earthquake of considerable proportions in Samsung and a consequent drop in the stock exchange of 3%. In the meantime, Samsung has postponed the release date of the Galaxy Fold, scheduled for 26 April in the United States and 3 May in Italy, so that the new tests can be carried out to understand the actual problems of the avant-garde product.
Good ideas, you know, don’t always get along in a hurry. Samsung’s object was to invade the market well before its competitors. It might be a good idea to stop and wonder what went wrong. And it’s worth it.