First foldable phone maker Royole reveals FlexPai 2

The new and improved FlexPai is here, but we don’t know when it’ll go on sale

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The old Royole FlexPai, launched in 2018, was criticized for buggy software and a bulky screen. (Picture: Royole)

Masha Borak

Published: 8:14pm, 25 Mar 2020Updated: 10:03am, 11 Feb 2021

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

Royole, the Chinese company that launched the first foldable phone, is back with a new and improved version of its FlexPai smartphone. CEO Bill Liu unveiled the FlexPai 2 on Tuesday, saying the second generation phone is thinner with a more robust and wearproof hinge.

The original FlexPai was unveiled in Beijing in 2018, just days before Samsung’s Galaxy Fold launch event. But the quality of the Chinese handset was widely criticized. In our own testing, we found the FlexPai was bulky and suffered from buggy software. Despite that, it swiftly sold out on Alibaba’s ecommerce site Tmall last April when it was priced at about US$1,330.

There is still no news about FlexPai 2’s price, but the launch is likely to take place next quarter. The new handset will feature a 7.8-inch screen and be powered by the latest Snapdragon 865 chip with 5G. The main selling point, though, is the third-generation Cicada Wing display. According to Royole, it’s brighter and offers better performance. During the presentation, Royole also announced a partnership with ZTE, suggesting ZTE phones might feature Royole tech in the future.

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