Z Fold 4 failure

[sachertorte]

This morning when I started to use my Z Fold 4, it failed. I am using it right now, but in cripple mode. When I unfolded the phone (while the cover screen was active), the phone inner screen started to display, but the display and phone shut off. It took a while, but I eventually figured I could start and run the phone as long as I kept it folded. If you unfolded it, the screen flashed on, then off and the phone died. Buttons on the right side of the phone (when the phone is open) do not function. It appears that connectivity on the phone is an issue when the hinge is in certain positions. I am charging up a new Z Fold 5 right now.

Danny

 

[ocnbrze]

This morning when I started to use my Z Fold 4, it failed. I am using it right now, but in cripple mode. When I unfolded the phone (while the cover screen was active), the phone inner screen started to display, but the display and phone shut off. It took a while, but I eventually figured I could start and run the phone as long as I kept it folded. If you unfolded it, the screen flashed on, then off and the phone died. Buttons on the right side of the phone (when the phone is open) do not function. It appears that connectivity on the phone is an issue when the hinge is in certain positions. I am charging up a new Z Fold 5 right now.

Danny

yep this has happened to me before. luckily i bought my phone at Best Buy and they just replaced the phone for me. but it took about 5 days for the "new" refurbished one to arrive. in the meantime i just used the phone with it folded as the front cover screen still worked.

 

[sachertorte]

yep this has happened to me before. luckily i bought my phone at Best Buy and they just replaced the phone for me. but it took about 5 days for the "new" refurbished one to arrive. in the meantime i just used the phone with it folded as the front cover screen still worked.

Glad to know it wasn't just with me. I might remember you mentioning that, maybe not. Anyway, how old was it when it failed like that? I buy at Best Buy as well.

Danny

 

[ocnbrze]

Glad to know it wasn't just with me. I might remember you mentioning that, maybe not. Anyway, how old was it when it failed like that? I buy at Best Buy as well.

Danny

well the story goes was that i still had the z fold 3 when the z fold 4 came out. the fold 3's factory screen protector was peeling off. geek squad said that they do not repair those and that i need to get a replacement. but instead of offering to get another z fold 3, they offered a credit to get the fold 4. i did have to pay a few extra hundred bucks for the upgrade, but that was way cheaper than buying it brand new. and then around april is when the fold 4 started having screen issues. 1st it was the screen protector.....again. next came the foldout screen malfunctioning. and since i have their geek squad membership, i got it replaced. this time though, they only offered to replace it with another fold 4 instead of the fold 5.

 

[sachertorte]

well the story goes was that i still had the z fold 3 when the z fold 4 came out. the fold 3's factory screen protector was peeling off. geek squad said that they do not repair those and that i need to get a replacement. but instead of offering to get another z fold 3, they offered a credit to get the fold 4. i did have to pay a few extra hundred bucks for the upgrade, but that was way cheaper than buying it brand new. and then around april is when the fold 4 started having screen issues. 1st it was the screen protector.....again. next came the foldout screen malfunctioning. and since i have their geek squad membership, i got it replaced. this time though, they only offered to replace it with another fold 4 instead of the fold 5.

I do remember now when that happened to you. I got my Z Fold 4 on the first day of availability after having bought and returned a Z Fold 3 that I thought had problems. In using the new 4, I found that it had the same issues, so it was not an individual phone issue per se.

When my Z Fold 4 failed, my wife strongly cautioned me on buying another folder, and I considered her advice. I looked at the S 24 Ultra, and the upgraded features on it (such as the camera with higher resolution) were very interesting. I almost considered buying it, but the sharp corners were kind of off putting, and to be honest, losing screen size by going S 24 Ultra was not something I was sure I could deal with after living with the screen size of a folder, especially since I use my phone as my computer. I have an old laptop, but I only use it for word processing and printing. When I found that the price difference between the two was somewhere around $200-$300.00, give or take, I rolled the dice for the folder. I was pleasantly surprised by the lower price as compared to the launch of the Z Fold 4.

How do you feel about folders going forward after your failure? Do you think you will stay with a folder or go back to a more traditional format phone?

Danny

 

[ocnbrze]

I do remember now when that happened to you. I got my Z Fold 4 on the first day of availability after having bought and returned a Z Fold 3 that I thought had problems. In using the new 4, I found that it had the same issues, so it was not an individual phone issue per se.

When my Z Fold 4 failed, my wife strongly cautioned me on buying another folder, and I considered her advice. I looked at the S 24 Ultra, and the upgraded features on it (such as the camera with higher resolution) were very interesting. I almost considered buying it, but the sharp corners were kind of off putting, and to be honest, losing screen size by going S 24 Ultra was not something I was sure I could deal with after living with the screen size of a folder, especially since I use my phone as my computer. I have an old laptop, but I only use it for word processing and printing. When I found that the price difference between the two was somewhere around $200-$300.00, give or take, I rolled the dice for the folder. I was pleasantly surprised by the lower price as compared to the launch of the Z Fold 4.

How do you feel about folders going forward after your failure? Do you think you will stay with a folder or go back to a more traditional format phone?

Danny

I can never go back to a smaller screen as I said in a different post. Most of my issues had been with the screen protector. The screen failure only happened once. So yeah I'm looking forward to see what the z fold 6 will offer. It looks promising.

 

[Hadron]

But if the "screen protector" is an integral part of the display, and one that they don't even offer repair of, then that's not a minor fault. Does it worry you that it happened 2 years running, or do you think they've improved now?

 

[ocnbrze]

But if the "screen protector" is an integral part of the display, and one that they don't even offer repair of, then that's not a minor fault. Does it worry you that it happened 2 years running, or do you think they've improved now?

They just put a new one on with no charge so that's not a big deal for me. And it was wet when it began to peel off. my phone often gets wet or is in the vicinity of water due to my job. So far my z fold 4 has had no issues. It happened only once with the z fold 3 and with the z fold 4. It's replacement is doing fine so far.

 

[sachertorte]

I thought that I understood some time ago that the screen protector film was replaceable.

Danny

 

[sachertorte]

I can never go back to a smaller screen as I said in a different post. Most of my issues had been with the screen protector. The screen failure only happened once. So yeah I'm looking forward to see what the z fold 6 will offer. It looks promising.

I can't go back either, even after this failure. There have been some small issues here and there, but none are really a big deal. There is one thing that I wish that they would change, and that is the width of the folded screen. I know that it is supposed to be for convenience when you are in the folded mode, but even so, the screen is a bit too narrow to use easily. Even a slight width increase would help bigtime. Ever since I lost the wider, less tall screen of my Note 3, I have been less than happy with the trend to narrower, taller screen formats.

Danny

 

[ocnbrze]

I thought that I understood some time ago that the screen protector film was replaceable.

Danny

they are, but they need to be done by Samsung. even if you go thru Best Buy's Geek Squad, you have to either send the phone in to Samsung and they will put the screen protector on or you can go to a Samsung Experience store and have the technician there put it on. i fortunately have one here in L.A.. they are quite busy on most days however.

 

[sachertorte]

I have to check if one of those locations is near me.

Danny

 

[sachertorte]

I think

I can never go back to a smaller screen as I said in a different post. Most of my issues had been with the screen protector. The screen failure only happened once. So yeah I'm looking forward to see what the z fold 6 will offer. It looks promising.

I think that it is wise for you to wait for the 6 to see if you want to upgrade. Essentially I can see almost no difference between my 4 and 5, aside from the arrangement in the lens area and that the folded screens sit more flat against each other than on the 4. I am sure if you went to the specs. for the 4 and 5 that there would be many small differences, but when using them, I don't see it. I too first bought the 3, then it went back. This might be crazy, but I really liked the 3. It had a more solid, quality feel to it.

Danny

 

[ocnbrze]

I think

I think that it is wise for you to wait for the 6 to see if you want to upgrade. Essentially I can see almost no difference between my 4 and 5, aside from the arrangement in the lens area and that the folded screens sit more flat against each other than on the 4. I am sure if you went to the specs. for the 4 and 5 that there would be many small differences, but when using them, I don't see it. I too first bought the 3, then it went back. This might be crazy, but I really liked the 3. It had a more solid, quality feel to it.

Danny

i did not like the hinge on the 3. the 4 is much better and the 5 is even better. the 6's hinge looks like the 5, but the front cover screen is going to be much wider, which would be a huge plus in my books. i just wish that they would throw in a holder for the s-pen. but, it looks like that will not be coming to the 6 and it may never will.....BOOOOO!!!!!

 

[sachertorte]

i did not like the hinge on the 3. the 4 is much better and the 5 is even better. the 6's hinge looks like the 5, but the front cover screen is going to be much wider, which would be a huge plus in my books. i just wish that they would throw in a holder for the s-pen. but, it looks like that will not be coming to the 6 and it may never will.....BOOOOO!!!!!

Having the bigger cover screen on the 6 would be a fantastic option, and if they had an S Pen and internal holder, just like on the Note series, that would be really beyond great. Two of my former phones were Notes, and I planned to get another, but they dropped the series. That is when I went to the Z Fold 3 that was quickly returned, and then to the Z Fold 4 and now 5.

Danny

 

[sachertorte]

I mentioned to my vet how my Z Fold 4 died, then about a week later, his died in a similar way as well, but I think he has a Flip.

Danny

 

[ocnbrze]

they have made imporovements to the foldable screens and so far seems pretty evident of this with the fold 6. i love it, samsung has made the s pen (not the s-pen pro) much thinner. and the s-pen and case is pretty solid.

i really llike the case. but there are tons of options now on amazon similar and way cheaper.

 

[sachertorte]

they have made imporovements to the foldable screens and so far seems pretty evident of this with the fold 6. i love it, samsung has made the s pen (not the s-pen pro) much thinner. and the s-pen and case is pretty solid.

i really llike the case. but there are tons of options now on amazon similar and way cheaper.

My vet quit foldables. This last one was his second. He went to the S24+ or Ultra. My wife said I am crazy for buying more foldables, but I think that we are early adopters of what will be a great and more sturdy device.

I would probably stick with the Pixel fold as a next phone, based on me loving the wider, shorter format. I am hearing conflicting stories about what size the new Pixel fold will be. If it goes to the Z Fold format size, I won't buy it and will go Z Fold. I think that the Pixel fold is slightly less advanced other than the size, so there is no reason to go Pixel Fold if they become the same size.

Nice case you got there.

Danny

 

[The_Chief]

I had the Fold 3 and 4, but the phones are too thick to fit many of the specialized phone mounts I use. I went to the S23U and now S24U and didn't miss the screen real estate nearly as much as I thought I would (probably because I also have the desktop & laptop).

 

[sachertorte]

I had the Fold 3 and 4, but the phones are too thick to fit many of the specialized phone mounts I use. I went to the S23U and now S24U and didn't miss the screen real estate nearly as much as I thought I would (probably because I also have the desktop & laptop).

I have one laptop, really old, which I almost never use, and I don't have a desktop. I have gone almost exclusively mobile computing. That is why I really would not want to go back to non foldables.

Danny

 

[Hadron]

I had the Fold 3 and 4, but the phones are too thick to fit many of the specialized phone mounts I use. I went to the S23U and now S24U and didn't miss the screen real estate nearly as much as I thought I would (probably because I also have the desktop & laptop).

This is why I'm not so bothered about foldables: I have desktop, laptop and tablet as well as my phone, so the phone's purpose is portabilty. That's why I'm watching developments in flip-style phones more than folders at the moment, though I'm hoping Samsung will have a bit more competition in that area before I next need to update.