Samsung Galaxy Fold release date just 'one week away' after months of delays

Beleaguered folding smartphone was first announced in 2018

Samsung announced the Galaxy Fold smartphone on 20 February, 2019 in San Francisco, California (Getty)

Samsung's highly-anticipated folding phone may be just one week away from being relaunched, following months of delays.

The South Korean electronics giant is expected to make an official announcement about the Galaxy Fold at IFA 2019 in Berlin on 6 September, according to local media.

The beleaguered device was first announced at the end of 2018 and was due to launch earlier this year, with Samsung describing it as "the foundation of the smartphone of tomorrow".

But the $2,000 phone faced issues with its innovative folding design and a number of early reviewers reported screens breaking after a short period of use.

In July, Samsung said it had "taken the time to fully evaluate the product design, make necessary improvements and run rigorous tests to validate the changes".

South Korean news agency Yonhap News reported that the Galaxy Fold will now be relaunched at Europe's largest consumer electronics show, with the device set to be released in South Korea on the same date.

Subsequent releases will then take place in the US and China later in September. It is not mentioned when the smartphone will come to Europe, though it will likely be around the same time as the US.

A spokesperson for Samsung refused to confirm further details when contacted by The Independent.

The Galaxy Fold marks a major departure from the slab-like design of smartphones that has become standard over the last decade.

Other smartphone makers have been developing foldable phones, including the world's second largest smartphone maker Huawei.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold represents a seismic shift in smartphone design (Getty)

The Chinese manufacturer was also forced to delay the launch of the Mate Flex due to similar concerns about its design.

One of the main issues with the new design is with the integrated hinge and flexible screen that needs to survive thousands of folds within the typical life span of a phone without showing signs of wear.

In order to address these issues, Samsung said in July that it had added additional reinforcements to the top and bottom of the hinge area, as well as extending a protective layer placed over the screen.