It seems Samsung's Galaxy Fold problems are set to continue for some time as the company admits it doesn't know when its folding smartphone is going to ship.
As Reuters reports, Samsung sent out an email to customer who'd pre-ordered the Galaxy Fold informing them that, "If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by May 31st, your order will be canceled automatically." The email was necessary under US regulations which require customers be contacted if their pre-order is in any doubt.
What the email confirms is that Samsung thinks it's very unlikely the Galaxy Fold will ship by May 31, but no firm alternative date has been provided. Galaxy Fold pre-orders have already been halted and Samsung recently asked for all the review units to be returned such was the poor state of this phone's durability.
We knew something was amiss with the Galaxy Fold just two days after review units were sent out. Those phones started breaking, prompting Samsung to figure out why. Later on, iFixit confirmed the Fold was "alarmingly fragile" while Samsung had already delayed the rollout of the phone to a much larger audience.
It still seems likely the Galaxy Fold will be launched eventually, while still carrying the hefty $1,980 price tag. With what's happened recently regarding the phone, it's key Samsung figures out how to mitigate any fears of the handset remaining too fragile to use in earnest and convincing consumers of that. Otherwise, the already limited market due to the price will all but disappear through doubt.