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(CNN Business) - Samsung announced that it will launch its expensive and problematic Galaxy Fold, which will be the first foldable phone to reach the market.
The Fold, which opens like a book, will go on sale in South Korea on Friday. It will then enter the market in other countries, including France, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, although Samsung did not specify exactly when the phone will arrive in those markets.
The folding phone, which will cost $ 1,980, was originally supposed to arrive in stores in April. Those plans were archived after the reports of the first users about how quickly the device broke.
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Samsung said Thursday that it has spent the past few months "refining" the phone.
"We are now excited to launch this pioneering mobile technology and allow consumers to experience it for themselves," said DJ Koh, president and CEO of Samsung's Mobile and Computer Communications Division, in a statement.
The key selling point of the 11.7-inch smartphone is that opening it becomes a 7.3-inch tablet. But the reviewers complained of several problems, including defective hinges and broken screens, after confusing the protective film of the fold with a disposable shield and removing it.
Samsung announced adjustments to the design of the phone in July. It strengthened the hinge area of the phone and extended the upper protective layer to make it more obvious to users that it should not be removed. The company also added caps to protect the top and bottom of the phone hinge.
- Apple wins patent of a folding screen
The first revisions were a setback for Samsung, which is the largest smartphone maker in the world. The company has worked to regain customer confidence after its Galaxy Note 7 fiasco in 2016. Millions of those devices were recalled due to battery explosion reports. Later, Samsung stopped the production and sales of that phone.
Consumers will probably hesitate to buy the Galaxy Fold due to its high price and the first reports of broken screens, an analyst said in July. But he added that it is unlikely to affect Samsung's reputation or its position in the market, since there is not much demand for folding devices at this time.
Samsung's new phone will face face to face with the folding phone of rival smartphone maker Huawei. The Chinese technology company is expected to launch its $ 2,600 Mate X by the end of 2019. The phone was delayed so Huawei could do more tests. Huawei has not yet revealed an official release date.
- Huawei delays the launch of its foldable smartphone of US $ 2,600
Samsung is also dealing with problems in its memory chip business. Global demand has slowed and a dispute between Japan and South Korea threatens to restrict the supply of chemicals Samsung needs to make semiconductors.
Samsung
