Foldable

A foldable Mi Mix smartphone remains a hot topic, not least because photos of an alleged prototype have appeared online. Specifications for a Xiaomi ODIN have been published too, apparently having been seen in MIUI code. Some of its specifications include a 120 Hz AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 888 SoC and what may be an in-display fingerprint scanner.

OPPO has just launched its "conventional" Android flagship phones for 2021. However, the prolific leaker Digital Chat Station now asserts it has something much more "interesting" to debut in this year's impending second quarter (2Q2021). This, apparently, will be its first-gen foldable-display phone.

More details have emerged about the next Galaxy Z Fold, presumably called the Galaxy Z Fold3 or the Galaxy Z Fold 3. According to a new report, the third-generation foldable smartphone will be thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold2, in part because of a redesigned hinge and a new display. There may even be a Galaxy Z Pro model this year, too.

The latest analysis of the flexible display market indicates that the sales of smartphones with foldable or rollable displays in 2021 are capable of far exceeding those of 2020. Their shipments are projected to grow to a total of 5.1 million, or 128% year-on-year (YoY), thanks to an influx of new models from new OEMs this year. Then again, most of these predictions may not pan out for at least 3 months.

The new luxury foldable that carries the Vertu banner, namely the Ayxta Fold 5G, is actually a Royole FlexPai 2 with a back cover dressed in leather and with a few other minor visual touches. Hardware-wise, there is nothing mindblowing, but the price for China (via JD.com) exceeds the equivalent of US$7,000.

A well-known industry insider has offered his view on the name of Xiaomi's upcoming foldable smartphone. Apparently, the device will herald the Mi Mix series' return, which Xiaomi has left dormant since the Mi Mix Alpha.

Microsoft’s Surface Duo will address at least two major shortcomings when it launches later this year. The new device will pick up 5G support for the first time but is also expected to bring substantially improved camera performance.

Foldable-display phones are slowly becoming more prevalent; however, they are still at a point at which they can only do so in one way per device: inward or outward. However, a new leaked video suggests a concept device that can bend in both directions is out there now. This possible breakthrough in the technology has allegedly been achieved by the panel-maker BOE.

Google is working on a foldable Pixel according to tipster Jon Prosser. Prosser’s remarks align with rumors of a foldable Pixel which surfaced in the middle of last year. While exciting news, it does raise questions about Google’s pricing and specification strategy.

Foldable devices nowadays come with relatively small displays, but, in a few years, we may be able to work with devices that integrate larger foldable screens like the Foldbook concept proposed by Wistron. By default, Foldbook offers a 17-inch touchscreen, which can be folded in half to act as a 10-inch laptop. Furthermore, the concept includes a docking station that transforms the tablet into an all-in-one PC.

OPPO asserts that slidable-OLED phones like its X 2021 are the best things since foldables. The OEM has teased the device in more detail than ever before at the MWC Shanghai 2021, outlining the various techniques it has developed to ensure its durability and functionality.

The Scroll smartphone concept in inspired by ancient scrolls and comes with a 10-inch display rolled up inside a stylish tube-like leather finish case, while the ZeroEdge design proposes a 14-inch 99% screen-to-body ratio OLED display that wraps around its left and right edges to offer side touch functions like we see on quad-curved smartphone displays.

LG has denied that it has cancelled its plans for the LG Rollable, its futuristic smartphone that can extend its rollable display into a tablet. At the same time, however, the company’s mobile future is far from certain.

Remote (or over-the-air) charging is a futuristic technology that a handful of mobile device OEMs claim to have cracked in 2021 thus far. The latest of these is OPPO, a company that has released a video of its new breakthrough in conjunction with MWC Shanghai. It also features OPPO's slidable-display phone, shown charging without cables or pads of any kind.

A new foldable device by TCL has turned up online. It appears to be the tri-folding tablet that TCL talked about in 2020, which can fold along two separate axes. In this particular instance, one part of the screen is being used as a makeshift keyboard.

Samsung has announced that (almost) every Galaxy-branded smartphone will receive at least four years worth of software support. The list includes several devices from the Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy A, Galaxy Tab, and Galaxy Fold series of smartphones.

Huawei has announced the Mate X2 in China. This new foldable has been updated with an inward-folding design, much like its closest Samsung rival. However, the OEM has also set it apart with a new, space-saving design - on which a massive price-tag has been slapped, even for its premium category.

Insider sources told Korean outlet ETNews that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 may support the Samsung Galaxy S-Pen. The line between the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S series has narrowed over the past few generations: Z Fold 3 support for the S-Pen could finally make the Galaxy Note redundant.

Recent rumors suggest that LG's Rollable phone project is dead in the water. However, that has apparently not stopped the OEM filing a new patent based on the concept with the Chinese intellectual property office (CNIPA). It appears to show a rolling-screen device with an additional display mounted on its rear panel for (you probably guessed it) selfies.

Apple has been working on at least two different foldable iPhone prototypes or concepts with a view to potentially bringing one of the designs to market. However, a new report suggests that the company is only lukewarm on the idea and it is still some years away from being launched, if at all.

A Weibo-based tipster has posted what is claimed as an official Huawei poster for the impending Mate X2 flagship foldable device. This phablet has long been rumored to ditch its predecessor's form-factor, in which its flexible screen is on its outer surface, for a more book-like effect similar to that developed by Samsung. The new leak appears to support this idea.

The next Galaxy Z Fold is very likely to a reworked inner display, according to a renowned leaker. Reportedly, Samsung plans to ditch the punch-hole camera from last year's Galaxy Z Fold2, which was an improvement on the Galaxy Fold's notch, itself.

Samsung has started the roll-out of the One UI 3.1 update for the Galaxy S20 phones, Galaxy Note20 devices, and the Galaxy Z range. While these Samsung Galaxy smartphones will receive many of the features Samsung One UI 3.1 has to offer, there will be no support for Google Discover, which is available on the Galaxy S21 series.

Apple is thought to have a foldable iPhone in the works. However, according to a new report, the market analyst group Omdia claims that its launch has been pushed back to 2023. Then again, it might share the feature of Apple Pencil compatibility with many iPads by that time.

Microsoft has reportedly set a date of February 18, 2021 for the launch of the Surface Duo in some European countries, as well as in Canada. However, it seems the dual-screen Android device will very much revert to its original price on its new international debut. Meanwhile, its price is now down by as much as US$450 in stores where it is sold.

Oppo's upcoming 2021 Oppo X appears to have already made foldable phones passe with its seamless, scrollable display. Tech blogger @BrandonLKS highlighted how the Oppo X's display works in a brief, but fascinating video preview.

A typically reliable source has revealed new information about Samsung's next-generation foldable smartphones, the so-called Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2. The pair's massive hardware upgrades remain unconfirmed, but it seems that Samsung will not announce either until the second half of 2021.

Huawei has officially announced that it will launch its next flagship foldable device on February 22, 2021. It is to be called the Mate X2, something also finally confirmed by the OEM via its Weibo channel. Its leaks suggest that it will have more of a Galaxy Fold look to it this time around, albeit with a different camera arrangement.

A new report from prolific Apple leaker Jon Prosser suggests that Apple could go the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip route with its upcoming foldable iPhone. The clamshell-shaped iPhone could come in several colourways and marketed as an 'entry-level' iPhone of sorts.

Xiaomi has revealed great plans for two seemingly almost-forgotten product lines this year, with news that the Mi Mix 4 and a new Xiaomi tablet range (Mi Pad 5) should surface in 2021. A Mi Fold or similarly named Xiaomi foldable phone should also make an appearance, which is why the company’s R&D department is receiving a huge boost.

The latest leaks suggest that Samsung might call its next premium foldables the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, and confer rear cameras like those of the S21 Ultra and S21 respectively on them. Now, according to the prolific leaker IceUniverse, they might launch in the second half of 2021.

Underlining just how expensive the current generation of foldable devices is, YouTuber Hugh Jeffreys showcased just how expensive it can be to return a broken Samsung Galaxy Z Flip to full working order. The repairs alone cost more than the launch price of Apple's iPhone 12 Mini.

A potential Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 or Mi Mix Fold with under-display camera technology could end up with a price tag of 10,000 yuan (US$1,548/€1,289). Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun, has asked his followers on Weibo if they would be willing to buy a phone at that price and what it should feature. A Xiaomi foldable phone and a Mi Mix successor are expected to appear at some point this year.

Huawei is rumored to launch a new foldable phablet called the Mate X2 soon. According to a new render, it will be a considerable departure from its predecessor in that it will have a design quite like that of its probable main rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. Then again, it might manage to avoid the multiple central punch-holes seen in that device.

The Mate X2's launch has been anticipated for some time, even with its maker Huawei's trade-war woes. A new post from a Weibo-based leaker assures the public that the device will debut "soon", with the 5nm chipset, design and features one might expect from a 2021 premium foldable phone.

Supposed further specs for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 have revealed some final key details about the foldable phone. Apparently there will be at least two RAM + storage configurations, possible IP certification, camera housing design based on that of the Galaxy S21, and 15 W wireless charging. But all these improvements over the Z Flip 5G will come at a high price.

The next generation of Samsung's flexible premium phablet is likely to be called the Galaxy Z Fold3. The leaker Ben Geskin has produced new images to show how this device might look according to the latest leaks and rumors. They point to it having rear cameras like those of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, although the rest is much unchanged compared to 2020.

Samsung's Display division recently held its earnings call for the last quarter of 2020 (4Q2020), which apparently involved profits that grew nearly 800% year-on-year and revenues equivalent to about US$8.9 billion. It also announced that it would indeed get into emerging panel types, including rollable ones, so as to stay competitive in 2021 and beyond.

The specifications of Samsung's next folding smartphone have been finalised, so claim leakers from South Korea. Apparently, a launch date by May, or a release alongside the Galaxy Z Fold3 this summer, is likely.

Shortly after the CES, a Lenovo manager has shared some interesting information in an interview. Especially interesting: In the future, Lenovo ThinkPad laptops will be equipped with better webcams.

The betas for Android's next major update may not be too far away at this point. This version is the one now rumored to implement a feature in which a phone can respond to double-taps on its rear panel to open shortcuts. Android 12 is also said to add App Pairs, a new form of split-screen mode, as well as more effective third-party app-market access.

Specs and price predictions for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable smartphone have started appearing on social media just as well-known tech commenters have been ringing the death knell for the Samsung Galaxy Note series. One analyst has stated there may be a Galaxy Note 20 FE while a tipster believes rollables will take over from the Note in 2022.

Samsung is currently expected to launch up to 4 new foldable devices this year, 1 of which will be a next-gen Galaxy Z Flip. Fresh renders of this clamshell phone have popped up with the same main camera module as the Galaxy S21 or S21+. Should this rumor be correct, it could launch with triple rear cameras and more space for a front-facing display.

LG is considering exiting the smartphone business despite teasing new devices as recently as CES 2021 last week. The company’s CEO Kwon Bong-seok has informed staff that all options are currently on the table including exiting the market, a potential sale or downsizing.

One week after releasing the update for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung is bringing the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 software update to its predecessor as well. The Samsung Galaxy Fold is receiving the new firmware already in France and the UAE (LTE version), as well as Switzerland and the UK (5G version).

Live images of a Xiaomi foldable smartphone have been shared online, indicating that the Chinese company seems to be almost ready to launch its first commercial foldable phone. The Xiaomi foldable device, which is clearly operating on MIUI 12, has a very noticeable crease running down the middle that will hopefully be less egregious in the final retail model.

The LG Rollable is real, and it will be coming to market this year, an LG spokesperson has confirmed. LG will source BOE displays for its first rollable smartphone, but the so-called LG Rollable may retail for US$500 more than a Galaxy Z Fold2.

Qualcomm has introduced its second-generation 3D Sonic Sensor under-display fingerprint reader. The new scanner offers a 77 percent larger fingerprint reader area and is 50 percent faster than its first-gen scanner which featured in Samsung’s Galaxy S20 and Note20 models.

LG has held its CES 2021 event, during which it teased its forthcoming Rollable smartphone. The South Korean company first hinted at the device last year after announcing the LG Wing, but it has now shown how its folding mechanism in action. The LG Rollable appears to have a motorised mechanism, but many other details remain unknown at this stage.

TCL's display-development subsidiary CSOT has prepared 2 of its flexible prototypes that can function when paired to rollers for display at CES 2021. One is the extendable AMOLED panel that may have been seen as part of a concept smartphone before. The other is a 17-inch piece of OLED that may show what the OEM can offer the makers of devices such as transparent TVs.