Galaxy Fold Unofficial Hands-On Video Doesn't Hide The Warts

The much-hyped foldable phone from Samsung isn't due to launch until late next month but, to the surprise of no one, a Galaxy Fold was already spotted in Vietnam. While we are always advised to exercise caution when it comes to unofficial sightings, the AT&T-bound unit shown in the video leaves little doubt to its authenticity. It is exactly what Samsung showed but also includes the angles that Samsung took great pains not to show.

It was easy enough to get distracted by the folding and unfolding of the Galaxy Fold but with some careful setup and a "no touch" policy, it was also easy for Samsung not to show the biggest problem with this first generation of foldable phones. All of them will have a crease where the screen folds.

It's not just the Samsung Galaxy Fold, mind. Even Huawei's Mate X is at the mercy of that inescapable fact. This is due to the use of a plastic substrate for the screen instead of the glass we've become so accustomed to these days. Another side effect is that these screens will easily scratch, which might not be a problem for the Galaxy Fold considering it folds inside anyway.

The video below is meant to demonstrate unlocking the phone that's locked to AT&T but it fortunately also shows other aspects of the device. The phone, for example, folds close with a satisfying snap which, while not absolutely necessary, could give some reassurance of the phone's structural stability.

It also gives a better sense of the scale of the display, which is pretty spacious. There is also a rather wide notch but, since it's at the corner of a rather large surface, it's almost easy to forget that it's there.