Samsung's first foldable phone will go on sale on Friday after problems delayed its initial release.

The Galaxy Fold will be available on 6 September in South Korea, followed by select countries including the US, the UK and Singapore.

The release of the nearly $2,000 (£1,634) device in April was postponed after early reviewers reported broken screens.

Samsung has been rushing to launch the folding smartphone before its rivals.

The firm said in July it had made "improvements" to the device and planned for the phone to go on sale in September.

It comes as the firm has seen profits tumble amid a broader industry slowdown, weighed down by the US-China trade war.

Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone and memory chip maker, is facing growing competition from rivals like Chinese tech firm Huawei.

It is also navigating possible disruption to its chip business from a trade row between South Korea and Japan.

Huawei became the second-largest smartphone seller in the world last year and plans to launch its folding smartphone in September.

Earlier this year, Chinese technology firm Xiaomi unveiled a prototype of a folding smartphone that transforms into a tablet.

BBC

BDST: 1413 HRS, SEPT 5, 2019
SI