SINGAPORE: Samsung’s first foldable smartphone the Galaxy Fold will go on sale in Singapore in September, the South Korean tech giant announced on Thursday (Sep 5).
The Galaxy Fold in LTE variant will be available in Cosmos Black from Sep 18 and in Space Silver three days later. It comes with a recommended retail price of S$3,088 and will be sold at local telecommunication operators M1, Singtel and StarHub.
Customers can also buy the handset from the Samsung Experience Store in VivoCity, the company said.
Those who purchase the mobile phone will be entitled to a customer care programme dedicated to the Galaxy Fold that includes a door-to-door pick-up and delivery service for repair, and a one-time screen replacement or repair should anything go wrong.
The mobile phone comes with a 7.3-inch flex screen when open.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold smart phone which features the world’s first 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display that works with the next-generation 5G networks is seen in this image released in San Francisco, California, US, Feb 20, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Samsung handout)
The world’s largest smartphone maker spent nearly eight years developing the Galaxy Fold, but had to hold its launch in April after reviewers reported screen problems.
In April, some of the journalists, analysts and bloggers in the United States who had received the phone to review ahead of the initial planned Apr 26 launch found problems with the display, including cracking or flickering.
Following the complains, Samsung said that they would delay the retail launch of its Galaxy Fold smartphone for an unspecified period of time.
Photos circulating on social media show damaged Samsung Galaxy Fold phones.
READ: Samsung Electronics delays Galaxy Fold media events in Singapore, China
After months of “refining” the Galaxy Fold, which is ready for use on high-speed 5G networks, Samsung said it will release the smartphone in South Korea on Friday, followed by select countries including including France, Germany, UK, US.
“During the past several months, Samsung has been refining the Galaxy Fold to ensure it delivers the best possible experience,” the company said in its media release, adding that it has improved the Galaxy Fold’s “design and construction”.
The Galaxy Fold has been widely promoted as the “world’s first foldable smartphone”, while rivals such as China’s Huawei have been racing to bring similar devices to market.
