Some Samsung Users Are Already Reporting Broken Screens on Their $2,900 Galaxy Z TriFold Phones.
Late last month, Samsung finally began selling its first foldable phone in the US. Buyers willing to spend a whopping $2,900 were able to purchase a 10-inch display that folds and fits into a pocket, but like many first-generation devices, there were some initial issues. Two users who purchased the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold shared on Reddit that their screens were no longer responding to touch—but to Samsung’s credit, the company isn’t leaving them hanging.
The first user , whose phone worked for about a month and a half (he bought it abroad) before problems developed, reported three days ago that the internal screen began periodically flashing green, then turning off, and then becoming unresponsive. Sometimes, a reboot would resolve the issue immediately; other times, the phone would need to run for several hours before a reboot would resolve the issue.
Another report is even more concerning, claiming that the device’s internal screen completely failed just five days after purchase. According to this user, the problem initially manifested as “phantom touches,” meaning the device recognized touches that weren’t there. The next day, the screen turned completely white and has been unresponsive ever since. In addition to the white screen, the user also reported a “strange clicking sound” when closing the device and an air bubble forming under the screen.
Both reports followed a less serious incident from a Korean user who reported a streak of dead pixels along the left side of his phone in mid-January. All three users posted photographic evidence along with their complaints.
The American users didn’t report subjecting their devices to any harsh conditions: the first said the issues arose “during normal use,” while the second claimed to have handled theirs “very carefully.” While we can’t know for sure what happened to these phones without seeing them firsthand, some users have offered speculation. Regarding the device that was flashing green, one Reddit user suggested it indicated a faulty cable, which I can confirm I’ve seen on other devices. Regarding the device with the non-functioning white screen, one user pointed to defects in other first-generation foldable devices, including both the Galaxy Z Fold 1 and the original Pixel Fold .
Regarding the dead pixels on the Korean phone, the user report did not mention how the problem first appeared, at least according to machine translation.
It’s disappointing when such a large investment immediately disappoints users, but everyone managed to contact Samsung customer service. The first user with a broken screen posted today that Samsung is repairing their phone for free, although it will take between one and three weeks to get it back. A second user said they chose to return the phone and go back to the cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 7 rather than use a new device. “Five days is a bit silly for a hardware failure,” they said of their decision. Finally, a Korean user with broken pixels said Samsung replaced their device for free and took the old one “for research.”
While these are just a few user reviews, they don’t reflect well on Samsung and serve as a good reminder to proceed with caution if you decide to buy the device early. If you do decide to buy the Trifold, it might be worth upgrading to the Samsung Care+ plan to protect your $2,900 investment from accidental damage or maintain repair coverage after the warranty expires. Of course, you’ll have at least one day to make that decision before you have to make that decision. The Galaxy Z Trifold is once again out of stock in the US, but a new batch is expected to arrive tomorrow . Hopefully, this batch will be a little more durable.