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Galaxy Fold screens broke and the internet is freaking out

Samsung's foldable phone is off to a rough start.

Carrie Mihalcik Former Managing Editor / News
Carrie was a managing editor at CNET focused on breaking and trending news. She'd been reporting and editing for more than a decade, including at the National Journal and Current TV.
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Carrie Mihalcik
2 min read
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CNET's Galaxy Fold review unit hasn't had any screen issues.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung's Galaxy Fold is getting a lot of attention -- and not the good kind. Earlier reviewers of Samsung's first foldable phone this week reported broken Fold screens after just a few days of use. Pictures of their bulging, "broken," "unusable," and "flickering" Folds unleashed a flood of reactions across social media sites like Twitter and Reddit.

CNET's Galaxy Fold review unit is undamaged. 

Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Fold problems explained

Samsung has said it'll inspect the broken units. For now the Fold remains scheduled to go on sale in the US on April 26.

Not unexpectedly, the internet decided to weigh in on the Galaxy Fold's screen issues.

"How could you not see this coming? The #GalaxyFold is rushed 'innovation,' and I just can't grip why people would want something so fragile to fold anyway," tweeted Twitter user Zee.

"Look at the bright side... At least it didn't burst into flames," tweeted Twitter user Taz Goldstein, referencing Samsung's recalled Galaxy Note 7

"In a mass production, there's always some defective units. But I prefer a product that never sees light because it doesn't fulfill the quality standards of a company, that a product that breaks or fails in its functionality at the two days of usage, I don't know about you," tweeted Twitter user Camilo RA.

Some people seemed unsympathetic to so called "early adopter problems."

"Really? The first generation of this new tech was rushed to market and it sucks? Noooooooo, surely not," wrote Reddit user KiloEchoNiner.

"Thank you early adopters who spent $2,000 beta testing this new tech," wrote Reddit user Yolo2themax.

And others just couldn't help getting in on the joke.

"Not sure why everyone is complaining about the Samsung Galaxy Fold. My unit has been absolutely fine," tweeted Safwan AhmedMia, aka UK tech reviewer SuperSaf, holding a picture of a paper phone.

"If you combined the Fold with the original Note 7 battery, you could potentially have a mini toasted sandwich maker," wrote Reddit user Aptosauras.

The $1,980 Galaxy Fold has two screens: a 4.6-inch one on the exterior that looks like a typical smartphone screen, and a second, folding screen on the interior that opens up to create a 7.3-inch display. It's one of a number of foldable phones set to come on the market from manufacturers including Huawei and Motorola

Close up with the Galaxy Fold's original screen, notch and hinge

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