Someone discovered how you can make the Galaxy Z Fold 4 screen perfectly flat. What’s the downside

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Fold 4 with an improved design, optimised for durability and superior functionality. But the South Korean manufacturer seems to have neglected one area where the competition has made major strides.

Although it was the first commercially available foldable phone series, the Galaxy Z Fold still doesn’t offer a foldable screen that’s perfectly flat in extended mode, with Samsung opting for an unsightly compromise solution that prevents premature foldable screen failure. Admittedly, the screen indentation in the fold area has become less noticeable on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but not so well that it satisfies everyone.

According to information that could be obtained from Samsung’s own engineers, excessive deformation in the fold area can be improved noticeably if you make the screen less rigid. For example, by removing the factory pre-applied protective film.

Unlike the first-generation Galaxy Fold, the protective film is even provided from the phone’s design as an accessory that can be removed and replaced to remove traces of wear and tear, but only by technicians at Samsung-authorized service centers. Under no circumstances should that film be removed by the user, much less should the phone be used long term without it, which is said to play a vital role in the longevity of the foldable screen.

However, a few users have been found to unclip the pre-applied foil from the OLED screen, apparently without adverse effects. Thus, not only did the foldable screen not fail in the days and weeks that followed, but it also became more pleasant to use, with the dent in the folding area becoming virtually unnoticeable.

By comparison, the first-generation Galaxy Fold screen would fail irreparably just hours after the protective film was removed, with the same operation applied without catastrophic consequences to the Galaxy Fold4 screen, showing how far Samsung has come in foldable screen reliability.