Rumor | Vivo plans to release flagship foldable, rollable and slidable phones soon

A number of OEMs are now linked to the release of their inaugural rollable or slidable phones, as an alternative or addition to the foldable products that currently occupy the cutting edge of premium personal devices for tech-loving consumers. Now, there is more evidence the Chinese company Vivo plans to compete in this emerging space soon.

This impression is derived from the latest trademarking applications submitted to the intellectual property office CNIPA by Vivo Mobile Communications. They include terms such as NEX Fold, NEX Roll and NEX Slide. They might well refer to next-gen smartphone or phablet types, which, moreover, will be successors to premium Android devices such as the NEX Dual.

These terms have been claimed both with and without spaces, suggesting that the OEM wanted to make sure to lock all its product-name bases down just in case. In either case, this new leak hints at ambitions similar to those of this company's fellow BBK Electronics subsidiary OPPO, with its X 2021 slidable prototype.

Besides these potentially exciting future entrants in the flexible-device market, Vivo's newest round of trademarking applications to CNIPA also hint at additional schemes more like some of Xiaomi's. For example, it seems the OEM would like to make products called the NEX CHIP and NEX SOC (or SoC, more like?).

These potential marketing names might thus hint at plans for in-house silicon at Vivo. Products such as these worked out well for Huawei (until they didn't) and are also gathering speed for Xiaomi, with the comeback of its own Surge SoC line. All in all, this new leak may indicate a push for major player status at Vivo.

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