With only a couple of months left on my 2 year warranty I get this unwelcome sight of my inner screen on the Z fold 4.
It started off with a very slim line of dead pixels and then continued to expand over the next few days. See photos
I go through the usual process of registering for support online and they sent me to an EE shop appointment. They get me to fill and sign a form in the EE shop, take my phone and wipe it and then come back to tell me it's not in warranty because of scratches and scuffs on the OUTSIDE frame of the phone. Presumably they mean the ones on the corner of the frame.
So having to go through the hassle of taking a day off work and then trying to get my phone back up and running again I rang Samsung directly and they gave me the same response. When I respond to the effect that scratches and scuffs cannot be avoided in the regular day to day usage of the phone, they come back to me stating there are phone cases available to prevent this.
Really?
Are we expected to have phone cases on our phones all the time to prevent the warranty being voided? If so, I don't see this being advertised in their marketing material.
Now the thing is, the dead pixels did not coincide with any bumps on the phone. But perhaps Samsung may not take my word on this, I get it. However, if it were not for the fact that other people are experiencing the same issue online, I would have given them the benefit of the doubt.
A cursory Google search will confirm this issue is widespread:
<https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Android-Devices/Galaxy-fold-screen-issues/td-p/1234187/page/3>
<https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/galaxy-z-fold-z-flip/z-fold-4-inner-screen-failure/td-p/9270747>
And there are others on Reddit reporting the same issue.
I get the feeling Samsung is aware of this issue and evading their responsibilities under the warranties they provide due to the high cost of having to fix this inner screen design fault.
Never have I had issues like this with all my previous phones through Samsung and the one-time I need their assistance, this is the treatment I get.
Completely unacceptable from a company worth hundreds of £Billions, especially given the premium price tag of the phone. Very disappointed to say the least.
Hi, first of all I am on your side with the Samsung inspection and caveats before any repair. However I have zoomed into your photo attached, and specifically towards the 'cosmetic scratches' you refer.
I would assume that the engineer has seen this and assumed a drop has occurred. I would tend to agree with their assessment based upon this impact mark. 'Small scratches' due to things rubbing against the case such as coins and items in pocket would probably be accepted and unlikely cause this type of damage.
This issue in your photo looks like 'impact damage' of some kind, and this is probably the reason for your warranty claim being dismissed.
Whilst it is unlikely that the screen breakage has anything to do with the impact that has occurred, is probably another matter. I think Samsung try and find any small reasons why they shouldn't replace a costly screen, and by finding this impact, it makes their decision easier. I think the Fold 5 and Fold 6 have improvements made to the screen robustness, but the Fold4 have a lot of issues that have been discussed on forums like here.
To be honest I am considering moving into foldables, but experiences like this are one reason why I haven't yet. There is a certain fragile nature to folding screens still... and perhaps adds more risk that the alternative monoblock design. There seem less instances of this happening on the later models, so I hope that things are improving.
Sorry you have had this experience. I hope you manage to get a new screen for it. Although I suspect you might not get far with warranty based upon their assessment.
Good luck
Smiley
Yes agreed. Again, the 'foldable glass' theory for me is still one of relative immaturity. I am not so sure that glass is meant to be continually bent ! 
In many of these cases it is very likely a glass failure and not impact, but if there is evidence of damage on any of the corners then that is all they need to see before making a disclaimer.
And that is why for all my purchases I will go onto Assurant and take out at least 1 year of accidental damage cover... it is just too much of a risk with such a high cost of device these days. I mean even monoblock phones glass can be brittle and break front or back. I am a careful owner of most of my phones, but you can never be too careful.
https://sales.samsungcareplus.assurant.co.uk/dashboard
In fact the insurance cover direct from Assurant on a monthly rolling basis, at the time it worked out cheaper than getting when you buy the phone from Samsung. For my S23U it was £5.99 a month... cancel whenever you choose to. (Edit: seems to have gone up since to £7.99)
I haven't yet had to make a claim through the insurance... and there is an excess fee payable with a claim. But this all gives peace of mind.
p.s. in this instance from the OP above, it appears there is some impact damage... AKA 'accidental damage' you can't expect Samsung to warrant the damage surely. But i would also be trying my best if it was me and I didn't have insurance cover. Ultimately,. if you make a drop of a phone, however minor, then the onus is on the owner, not the manufacturer.
The optional insurance for accidental damage covers that instance and should be an absolute MUST in my view...whoever the insurance is with... some third parties offer competitive device insurance as well. So all bases should then be covered ... whether it be manufacturer warranty... or accidental damage claim.
P.s. here is a link to the T&Cs for Samsung Care+ if interested.
https://samsungcareplus-api.sales.assurant.co.uk/api/v1/resource/getSiteFinityFile?type=file&v=&cult...
