Galaxy S Display Issues Are Worse Than Expected, Samsung Offers Free Fix

We increasingly expect our smartphones to go the distance, putting up with daily abuse and neglect for years. Samsung appears to be accepting that some of its devices can't keep up and has offered free repairs to customers with a specific display defect. Those with pricey Samsung phones in India can now rest easy that a "green line" issue won't cost them an arm and a leg. As for those in other countries, it's still up in the air.

This problem is not connected to any specific Android phone—we see these glowing green lines appear on OLED panels from various manufacturers, although the panels themselves are often Samsung parts. The line runs from top to bottom, and it's usually just one, but the line can multiply in some instances. Samsung phones probably don't experience this more than other devices, but there are a lot of Samsung phones with OLED screens, so the internet is rife with incriminating pictures.

Recently, Indian Samsung fans have been getting good news from support reps, according to SamMobile. Last year, Samsung opted to offer free replacements for Galaxy S20 and Note 20 owners in India with green line defects. Now, Samsung has expanded that to the Galaxy S21 and S22 families. When Samsung replaces the screen, it'll also swap in a new battery (which is glued to the back of the display assembly). Phone batteries degrade over time, so a Galaxy S21 or S22 that's been used daily is probably in need of a replacement. That makes the free display swap an even better deal.

However, there's a catch. This is a one-time offer, and it sounds like Samsung will require owners to book service appointments before April 30. If you miss the deadline, your out-of-warranty phone won't be eligible for the free display replacement.

Samsung India offers a ONE-TIME FREE SCREEN REPLACEMENT for select models(within 3 years of purchase) experiencing GREEN LINE issue, even if your warranty's expired!

Applicable Models:
•S20 Series
•Note20/Ultra
•S21 Series(Excluded FE)
•S22 Ultra(SM-S908E)

Repost to help pic.twitter.com/t1Au0zthlE

— Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) April 21, 2024

Samsung has not discussed the cause of the green line defect, but we believe it to be a problem with the display connector or cable. Once this defect appears, there is no way to fix it in software—the OLED is permanently damaged. Some users report the line appears following a software update, but there are too many variables to confirm OTA updates are connected.

The green line is not limited to India, but Samsung support in India is currently alone in offering the free repairs. We've reached out to Samsung PR to see if there might be a similar program in other regions soon.