SAN FRANCISCO - Some of Samsung's new $2,000 folding phones appear to be breaking after just a couple of days.

Journalists who received the phones to review before the public launch say the Galaxy Fold screen started flickering and turning black before completely fizzling out. A couple of journalists say they removed a thin, protective layer from the screens that they thought was supposed to come off, but was meant to stay.

But Dieter Bohn, executive editor of technology news site The Verge, says he left that layer on and his screen still broke.

The long-anticipated folding phone goes on sale April 26 in the U.S. for US$1,980, making it one of the most expensive phones anywhere - particularly if it isn't as durable as promised.

Samsung did not immediately comment.