The Samsung Galaxy Fold phone is shown on a screen at Samsung's Unpacked event in San Francisco, California, US, Feb. 20, 2019.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The world’s top smartphone maker delayed global sales of the splashy $1,980 foldable phone after reviewers discovered problems with its display, dealing a setback to Samsung and its efforts to showcase its innovation.
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“If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be cancelled automatically,” the South Korean tech giant’s US subsidiary told Galaxy Fold pre-order customers in an email late on Monday, which was confirmed by a Samsung spokeswoman.
As per US regulations, Samsung was required to notify customers that the pre-orders would be cancelled in the event the product had not been shipped by May 31, it said in a separate statement to Reuters.
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Though the issue does not hurt Samsung’s balance sheet, the postponement damages the firm’s efforts to portray itself as an innovative first-mover, analysts have said.
Samsung has said it plans to make at least 1 million Fold handsets in the first year, versus the total 300 million phones it produces annually on average.
It closed Galaxy Fold pre-orders earlier due to what it said was “high demand”.
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