Those who preordered a Samsung Galaxy Fold were a bit surprised to discover that their preorder has now been canceled.
Although Samsung has finally ironed out the kinks that plagued its flagship smartphone, it's still rethinking how best to craft the "customer experience" surrounding this sale of the phone.
To do so, it needs to cancel all Galaxy Fold preorders, which it has now done. Any person who preordered the phone earlier this year won't be receiving their original their unit, as seen in tweets from popular YouTubers and others.
Galaxy Fold Preorders Canceled
A Samsung representative has also confirmed that the company is canceling all Galaxy Fold preorders placed online via Samsung's website. Samsung is set to release the phone on Sept. 6 in Korea, with speculation tipping the phone for a U.S. release sometime later this month.
As a consolation, Samsung is offering customers who preordered the Galaxy Fold a $250 credit to spend in the Samsung store. As for the cancellation, Samsung says it wants to rethink the customer experience and "ensure that you have the best possible experience with this revolutionary new technology."
The company also notes that it's rethinking how the Galaxy Fold is purchased, unboxed, and serviced, although it doesn't provide any more details beyond these aspects. A representative also mentioned the just-announced Galaxy Fold Premier Service, which Samsung will be offering for all Fold customers and is presumably part of the new sales process. It promises to offer more details as launch day draws nearer.
Galaxy Fold Release Date
As it stands, Samsung has yet to reopen preorders for the Galaxy Fold — the updated and fixed one, to be specific. Samsung had intended to release the phone much earlier but when early review units came plagued with a bevy of issues — such as malfunctioning screens — it had to postpone the product temporarily.
The new Galaxy Fold will be available on Sept. 18 in France, Germany, Singapore, and the UK. It's set to arrive "in the coming weeks" in the United States — rumors say Sept. 27.
The Galaxy Fold isn't the first foldable phone ever released, but it looks to be the most polished out of the bunch. The product is a huge risk on Samsung's part, given that it's uncertain how people will receive this new innovation. Will it travel the same road 3D TVs did and fizzle out at some point, or is foldability the new innovation? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below if you have any thoughts!
