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Repair website iFixit folds under pressure, pulls Galaxy Fold teardown
iFixit is arguably the top destination for smartphone repair guides and teardowns, showing us just how these devices are put together. The firm recently posted a Galaxy Fold teardown, but it’s now pulled the post due to indirect pressure from Samsung.
According to a blog post addressing the matter (spotted by The Verge), iFixit said it wasn’t directly asked to pull the article. Instead, the request seems to have come via the partner who supplied the Galaxy Fold in the first place.
“We were provided our Galaxy Fold unit by a trusted partner. Samsung has requested, through that partner, that iFixit remove its teardown. We are under no obligation to remove our analysis, legal or otherwise. But out of respect for this partner, whom we consider an ally in making devices more repairable, we are choosing to withdraw our story until we can purchase a Galaxy Fold at retail,” read an excerpt of the post.
It sounds like iFixit didn’t want to sour its relationship with the entity that was sending devices its way. Nevertheless, it’s still disappointing if Samsung did indeed apply pressure to pull the teardown, even if a revised Galaxy Fold might be in the works. But knowing the Streisand Effect, I wouldn’t be surprised if iFixit’s move actually spurs people to seek the article and associated images anyway — it’s already accessible via the Internet Archive.
The news comes after Samsung delayed the launch of its foldable phone, following several defects reported by reviewers. The company has reportedly pulled review units too as it investigates the cause of these issues.
We’ve contacted Samsung’s representatives and iFixit for more clarity on the situation and will update the article accordingly. What do you make of this turn of events? Give us your thoughts below!