OPPO can now be counted in the list of smartphone companies working towards a foldable design for a smartphone. This list includes smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei, and even Microsoft. On top of that, ZTE has already launched its Axon M foldable smartphone with two screens and a hinge in between. Also, it has an “Extended Mode,” which utilizes both displays.
OPPO has filed a patent in China for a Smartphone design that can bend. The design consists of a flexible display on top of two fixed chassis fixed in a hinge. The hinge is placed at around 25 % to 35 % of the display from the top. The foldable part can bend forward as well as backward. Bending the phone also makes it look smaller.
The screen, which can make a U-bend around the hinge, allows the user to use the front camera as both the front and rear cam. It is almost like the concept of a rotating camera. OPPO has previously launched N1 with a rotating camera module that can spin 206 degrees and be used as both front and rear cam. Another Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Gionee, launched a device named Gionee Elife E7 Mini that featured a rotating camera module.
Now, Samsung’s foldable smartphone is rumored to be launched in 2018, while Huawei has already made a prototype and is giving the smartphone final touches. A new rumor also claimed Apple is joining with LG for a foldable device to launch around 2020. Another Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Elephone, is rumored to release a smartphone with a flexible AMOLED display and a Snapdragon 660 chipset. The age of foldable smartphones is coming soon, and we may no longer have to worry about big smartphones that don’t fit into our pockets correctly.