iFixit Removes Galaxy Fold Teardown at Samsung's Request

[MacRumors]

iFixit has decided to pull its revealing Samsung Galaxy Fold teardown. The decision is said to have been made after Samsung indirectly requested its removal from the website, which published the teardown on Wednesday. iFixit provided the following statement on its blog:

We were provided our Galaxy Fold unit by a trusted partner. Samsung has requested, through that partner, that iFixit remove its teardown. We are under no obligation to remove our analysis, legal or otherwise. But out of respect for this partner, whom we consider an ally in making devices more repairable, we are choosing to withdraw our story until we can purchase a Galaxy Fold at retail.

It's unclear why Samsung wanted the teardown removed, but a few possibilities come to mind. Perhaps the company intends to make significant changes to the design of the Galaxy Fold before it's officially launched, and it doesn't want a teardown on the web of a device that's substantially different to the one that eventually goes to market. Or maybe it was simply taking action against a partner that hadn't been given the authority to provide the device to iFixit in the first place.

Another interpretation, offered by The Verge's Dieter Bohn, is that Samsung didn't appreciate the bad press that came with the teardown, after it exposed the design flaw allowing debris to ingress behind the display, which presumably caused so many review units to break, and led Samsung to recall them and then delay the device's launch. Whatever the reason, it doesn't look terribly good for the company.

Samsung has yet to offer a new release date for the Galaxy Fold. In an email sent on Wednesday to pre-order customers about the delayed launch, Samsung said that it will update customers with more specific shipping information in two weeks. In the meantime, anyone still interested in checking out iFixit's teardown can find it on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.

Article Link: iFixit Removes Galaxy Fold Teardown at Samsung's Request

 

[Heineken]

Ouch. Add this one to ****up column.

 

[Sir Ruben]

Another fine mess you've gotten yourself into Samsung *facepalm*

 

[44267547]

Makes sense why they want it removed. Likely because ifixit exposed the Folds weaknesses and Samsung doesn’t want the criticism, nor the embarrassment they are already enduring. I suppose that’s what happens when you put out a shoddy product that isn’t ready to be in the consumers hands.

 

[Donnation]

I don't blame them for wanting it taken down, it did not paint a pretty picture about the device's durability.

In the end though its great for us consumers. Samsung can't release a garbage product that is going to break incredibly easy and hopefully a more durable device comes out of this.

 

[swm]

Galaxy Flop
those folks should decide whether the wole stuff was a one time feat or an actual product, and start behave accordingly

 

[DNichter]

Makes sense. Samsung needs to go back to the drawing board on this one, maybe even start from scratch. A rumored June launch feels way too soon for this device to be fixed. If they couldn’t get it right in 6 years, is 2 months really going to do it? I say push to 2020 and fix the hardware, software, and try to come up with some valuable use cases.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Yeah after that genie’s been released from the bottle, there’s no chance she’s going back to that circle couch.

Streisand effect on deck...

 

[Brian Y]

They need to AirPower this.

Bring it back in a year's time once it's been properly redesigned.

 

[seadragon]

Picturing the usual scene in a movie where an incriminating video is handed over on a thumb drive.

“That was the only copy, right?”

 

[Heineken]

Makes sense. Samsung needs to go back to the drawing board on this one, maybe even start from scratch. A rumored June launch feels way too soon for this device to be fixed. If they couldn’t get it right in 6 years, is 2 months really going to do it? I say push to 2020 and fix the hardware, software, and try to come up with some valuable use cases.

Samsung needs to pile everything related to it and burn it down.

 

[Martius]

I still don't understand how the testing process works in those companies (Samsung, Apple). Just put those devices into pockets of the employees and analyze the results after few months. Every new device is just so secret they can't even test it in real life... and here are the consequences.

 

[iReality85]

iFixit, uNixit.

 

[44267547]

They need to AirPower this.

Bring it back in a year's time once it's been properly redesigned.

The difference being, the Airpower was _never_ released in the hands for reviewers to expose any weaknesses the way the galaxy Fold was. At least Apple realized the Airpower wasn’t ready for a release and openly was admitted by Dan Riccio.

 

[bollman]

Well, I can think of other reasons. Like, iFixit never got a Galaxy Fold to do a teardown on. They got it from someone else that had received a pre-production unit from Samsung for review and test, not teardown. The pre-production units might not be ready for primetime (duh) so, I fully understand that Samsung does not want that online.

 

[djcerla]

Barbra Streisand shakes head in horror.

 

[Hazmat401]

Say what you want about Samsung... at least they are innovating.... what’s Apple doing besides adding a freaking camera lense

It’s no way I’m upgrading from my mid spec XS Max this year

 

[Heineken]

Say what you want about Samsung... at least they are innovating.... what’s Apple doing besides adding a freaking camera lenses

It’s no way I’m upgrading from my mid spec XS Max this year

Innovating? If that’s innovation for you you can keep it.

 

[Rogifan]

Say what you want about Samsung... at least they are innovating.... what’s Apple doing besides adding a freaking camera lenses

It’s no way I’m upgrading from my mid spec XS Max this year

Innovating in devices that breakdown after a day or so of use?

 

[Taruga]

For anyone that missed the teardown, here's the Internet Archive link:
https://web.archive.org/web/2019042.../Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+Fold+Teardown/122600

 

[dilbert99]

Samsung needs to pile everything related to it and burn it down.

I hope they do succeed eventually it will open up a sci-fi style future if they can get over the hurdles.

 

[YaBe]

I do not get it, iFix it did not do anything wrong, so while Samsung can Ask to take it down, they cannot "request", unless it was a demo unit with NDA.....

 

[dilbert99]

Innovating in devices that breakdown after a day or so of use?

Regardless of the utility of the current design they have attempted something that most people would think not possible.
I do hope they eventually succeed.

 

[Scooz]

Now you see it, now you don‘t.

Samsung’s new first-to-market strategy finally does away with the legacy concept of "actually arriving".

After all it‘s all about being first. Even when it‘s about withdrawing or pressuring iFixIt.

Fireball, smoke... Gone!

 

[Hazmat401]

Innovating in devices that breakdown after a day or so of use?

Are we gonna sit here and pretend that all the Apple lawsuits about the various (insertgate) the iPhone has had over the years we’re not a thing

Again.... At least Samsung is trying