Foldable

Microsoft originally started to pitch the dual-display Surface Neo in late 2019; however, it ultimately failed to make it to its projected real-life launch. Now, a leaker has posted a video that purports to reveal the design of the erstwhile "foldable tablet". It appears to show a device that might indeed have been a larger Duo in real life.

Xiaomi has only just released its inaugural foldable in its native China. It has also announced its potential out-of-warranty repair costs, which specify amounts for which a whole new conventional flagship could be bought instead in some cases. For example, a 16GB Mi Mix Fold official motherboard replacement costs more than a brand-new Mi 11 Pro right now.

Samsung is reportedly working with legendary camera manufacturer Olympus to develop camera hardware for its upcoming devices. We could see it in action alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 this year or on the Galaxy S22 Ultra in 2022.

OPPO has patented a new kind of phone or phablet with an optional secondary display to which it can attach using custom-designed hinges. Therefore, this detachable portion could act as a keyboard, or perhaps allow the entire product to imitate a Surface Duo at will. The OEM has also apparently patented a mobile gaming controller with in-built earphones.

The projected 2021 upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip hint that this upcoming clamshell foldable will have a improved display and design compared to its forebear. Then again, a new leak suggests it will also stick with the underwhelming battery capacity of yesteryear.

The Mi Mix Fold may have many great features on paper, but hands-on shots show that Xiaomi has been unable to overcome the crease that plagued earlier foldable smartphones. Clearly, Xiaomi has some catching up to do before it can match Huawei's Mate X2.

A select handful of mobile device OEMs design their own custom silicon, and Xiaomi has just re-joined these ranks with the new Surge C1. Unlike other first-party chipsets, this one is a new image signal processor designed specifically for the company's new flagship foldable device. It controls a cutting-edge liquid lens, as well as a multi-use sensor.

The Mi Mix Fold is big in every sense of the word. Not only does it have an 8.01-inch display when unfolded, but it also weighs between 317 g and 332 g, depending on which configuration you choose. Additionally, the Mi Mix Fold has a 108 MP camera, a liquid-lens telephoto camera, a new Surge C1 ISP and a 5,020 mAh battery capacity. The Mi Mix Fold costs between CNY 9,999 (~US$1,521) and CNY 12,999 (~US$1,977), too.

Huawei has confirmed that its HarmonyOS will start to roll out from April 2021. This in-house OS is intended to replace EMUI, which is based on Android, on its mobile devices. This process will start with the Mate X2, the OEM's latest foldable flagship.

According to multiple reports, Xiaomi's first foldable smartphone may be making a guest appearance at its March 29 hardware launch event. The device has been certified at the MIIT in China with up to 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, too.

According to Nikkei Asia, Samsung is planning to launch a new Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip this year and a device that folds in two ways. Apparently, the device will expand to a conventional 16:9 or 18:9 aspect ratio.

Renowned leaker Even Blass has posted Samsung's product release schedule for 2021. It says that new Chromebooks and Galaxybooks are slated to be launched in April, followed by the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite in June, the Galaxy A82 in July and finally, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE in August.

After the cancellation of the new Galaxy Note series for 2021, SamMobile has confirmed that Samsung still has some interesting hardware due in 2021. We must wait until at least the autumn for any new flagship smartphones, though.

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.