The Samsung Galaxy Fold smartphone appears to be back on track for release with reports from Bloomberg indicating that the device is near the end of its redesign. Details suggest Samsung wants to have the foldable smartphone ready for market for the holiday season.
The manufacturer has become more vocal on the matter with its CEO, DJ Koh admitting that the Galaxy Fold malfunction was “embarrassing” and that he “pushed the product through before it was ready.” However, Samsung has still been very ginger about the media optics of the situation. There are still no concrete details on exactly when the device will become available to the public.
It is possible that Samsung is remaining quiet about the Galaxy Fold relaunch in order to make it impactful and recapture the fans and prospective customers that were excited to purchase the device before. A meaningful reintroduction of the Galaxy Fold will be necessary to ensure it gets a fair shot in the market if it were to release again without any further issues.
Here are four ways Samsung could relaunch the Galaxy Fold.
At Samsung Unpacked on August 7
Bloomberg has reported that it is unlikely Samsung will announce the Galaxy Fold relaunch at its upcoming New York Unpacked event for the Galaxy Note 10. However, it is possible Samsung could share a teaser for its plans for the device; either details about a separate relaunch event or about when the public can expect an official availability announcement.
Many will likely expect the company to at least address the Galaxy Fold at it’s August 7 Unpacked event as it is the first international mobile showcase since the product was delayed. Even if Samsung does not reveal a detailed launch schedule for the device, no mention of the Galaxy Fold at the next Unpacked would likely be heavily criticized.
At IFA in Berlin
Piggybacking the prior point, it is possible Samsung could share relaunch details about the Galaxy Fold at IFA in late-August after sharing a teaser for the device in early-August. Berlin’s IFA conference is another international stage that Samsung can utilize to ensure fans and consumers that the Galaxy Fold is safe and ready for market.
Samsung typically hosts a keynote during IFA where it announces other consumer products, such as wearables and VR headsets, so that its earlier Unpacked event can focus on smartphones. Relaunching the Galaxy Fold at IFA could allow Samsung to display the device for hands-on opportunities to convention attendees if it were so inclined.
It could also give Samsung a chance to privately meet with media and other industry members to showcase the device in a more controlled environment. While many poked fun at Huawei for using this method with its Mate X Foldable smartphone, it has so far prevented that device from meeting the same fate as the Galaxy Fold.
At a small and private industry event
It is possible that Samsung could host a private launch event to reintroduce the Galaxy Fold to the media since journalists were the ones most affected by the Galaxy Fold malfunction.
Media members who received review models ahead of the Galaxy’s Fold market release were the ones that uncovered the flaw that lead to its delay. It would make sense for Samsung to try and redeem itself with the very faction that discovered the malfunction and ultimately prevented the device from needing to be recalled from public circulation.
Read more: Details of Samsung Galaxy Fold redesign
How an event like this would transpire would be up to Samsung, but it would similarly allow the manufacturer to give the media controlled access to the Galaxy Fold before its relaunch. Samsung will likely circulate review models once again, but an official reintroduction could potentially benefit from being a more intimate affair, drumming up media takes before, during, and after the event.
If Samsung does plan to begin selling the Galaxy Fold for the holiday season, a mid-fall relaunch could be ideal. The latter half of the year has become a prime time for smartphone companies to release new devices. Members of the media dubbed October 2018 “Techtober” and “Phonepocalypse” after several manufacturers announced and released new devices during that time period.
If there is a similar barrage of releases in October 2019, this could be an ideal time for Samsung to reintroduce the Galaxy Fold. While the device is sure to garner considerable attention, it could get lost in the shuffle of many product launches, potentially easing the blow of any negative press that may coincide its reintroduction.
A virtual relaunch
Since the Galaxy Fold has already had an official launch event Samsung could very well forgo an in-person showcase for some sort of virtual announcement. A press release would likely be too impersonal to convey what Samsung would need to once again make the Galaxy Fold a viable product for a market. However, a virtual relaunch would be forward-facing enough to instill that the manufacturer is committed to the quality of its foldable smartphone.
The company could live stream an address, featuring Samsung executives discussing how the Galaxy Fold has been improved and sharing its availability details. This would give Samsung a chance to showcase the updated product without giving too much hands-on access to it right away.
Again, journalists will likely receive new review models before it the Galaxy Fold releases to market. Still, a virtual launch could be as cost-effective as it would be beneficial to maintaining positive optics for the device.
This event could be teased during Unpacked or IFA, giving the industry something to look forward to in the weeks following those major events.
