The new Samsung Galaxy Fold has just gone on sale in the UK and fixes the various screen issues that caused the company to pull the original foldable phone design before it went on sale. This redesigned model is an interesting device, and I'm a fan of the big screen experience so far. But there's one issue that's starting to bug me: It seems to want to pull my beard out almost every time I hold it up to my face.
The problem lies in the gap that forms between the hinge and the outer screen when it's folded shut. When brushed up against even my moderate stubble it seems to love to grab onto hairs and pull on them. Anyone who's ever plucked a hair from a sensitive part of their body will understand this pain and will know that it's not something you want to take you by surprise.
The bigger problem is that you take calls when the phone is folded, meaning I have to squash it up against my face every time I want to make a call, gritting my teeth at the impending unwanted epilations from my bonkers expensive new handset (the Galaxy Fold costs $1,980, £1,900, AU$3,469).
Admittedly, this may not be a problem for everyone. People without beards, for example. And even those of you with beards may not be affected as badly as I have been. CNET UK reporter Sean Keane, for example, didn't seem to have the same issue, despite having a similar level of stubble as me. I will, of course, be testing this phone against as many hairy-faced people as I can find over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, if you're of a more hirsute nature and want the Fold, I'd suggest trying to rub a demo handset in a store against your face for a while first. If you get funny looks, tell them I sent you.
