Early buyers of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in Korea reported that the device has a gap between its display and casing, but that's a feature and not a defect.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 made its official debut in Samsung's home country on Friday, Sept. 26, which was earlier than the company had previously announced. Samsung initially pegged the launch for October, and the early release of the Galaxy Note 4 in Korea and China was widely seen as a move designed to steal Apple's thunder, as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are not yet available in these countries.
After the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launched in Korea, some early buyers reported that the device comes with a gap between its plastic casing and the metallic frame going around the edges, surrounding the display. When this first came to light a couple of days ago, the general belief was that it's a manufacturing defect.
As it turns out, however, this gap is actually a "necessary manufacturing feature," not a defect after all. More specifically, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 user manual mentions this gap, explaining that it's a feature. Nevertheless, this "feature" appears in the troubleshooting section of the manual.
"A small gap appears around the outside of the device case
This gap is a necessary manufacturing feature and some minor rocking or vibration of parts may occur," reads the Galaxy Note 4 user manual, as SamMobile points out.
"Over time, friction between parts may cause this gap to expand slightly," the user manual adds."
It remains unclear just what purpose this gap should serve, and whether that slight expansion over time should be reason for concern. When news first surfaced of this gap on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, many worried that it would be the perfect place for dust, lint, and debris to settle in, or that any drop of liquid there could damage the device. After the whole #bendgate fiasco surrounding Apple's recently-launched iPhone 6 Plus, this Galaxy Note 4 gap went down the #gapgate route and stirred quite some uproar.
If it's a manufacturing feature and not a defect, however, it should mean that this gap poses no risks of damaging the device, and everything is just as intended. Samsung has yet to comment on this matter, but we'll keep you up to date as soon as more information becomes available in this regards.
