Royole, known for making the world’s first foldable smartphone, does not seem to be in the best financial condition. The company has defaulted on its employee wages for a year. The leading innovative company in China, whose primary business is focused on flexible display technology, has been in crisis for over a year.

As per China’s News Daily, around 50 Royole employees resorted to protest demonstrations with banners and slogans at the company’s Display Headquarters entrance in Shenzhen. After not adhering to the verbal promises made by Liu Zihong, Royole’s CEO, the employees had no option but to protest against the company. The employees have not received their areas and wages since November 2022 and are now demanding to resolve the issue and credit their wages as soon as possible.

The Employee Rights Protection Committee signed an application for the settlement of the remaining claims by Shenzhen Royole Technology Co., Ltd. as a demand. The Royole workers have not received the wage for the past 8 months, while the employees haven’t seen it for the past 12 months. Due to the ongoing financial crisis, thousands of company employees have already left the company over the past couple of years.

In response, the company said the business has significantly suffered losses and is only able to pay social security deposits. Only 200–300 employees are now left with the company, consisting of engineers who maintain the production line.

Royole’s move to seek help from the government and investors went in vain, as employees are saying the production line never started in 2022. However, the government is helping the company to restructure its debt, but there has been no significant change.

Royole’s Past Glory

The company’s last smartphone launched was the Royole FlexPai 2 in 2020, with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Even though the company’s maiden smartphone, Royole FlexPai, was sold out within a few minutes after going on sale in 2019,. In the last decade, it has been considered a primary competitor to Samsung Display’s monopoly as it has developed ultra-low-temperature non-silicon process integration technology to create flexible displays.

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The foldable form factor has finally matured, with plenty of mainstream brands releasing their own versions in recent months. Companies like Samsung, OPPO, Vivo, Motorola, and even Huawei have released multiple foldables over the past couple of years, increasing the number of options consumers have in this niche segment. And as years pass by and the technology gets better, we can expect even mid-range and low-end brands to get into this particular segment. 

If you are looking for a foldable smartphone in 2022, there are plenty of options to choose from, especially if you live in China. However, even international consumers have a variety of options, in a couple of form factors like a vertical or a horizontal folding design. 

So let’s take a look at some of the Best Foldable Smartphones of 2022. 

Galaxy Z Fold3

Samsung has been the pioneer of foldables ever since the form factor first made its entry into the market. The Z Fold3 is the third generation foldable device from the company, and we can finally say that there’s a near-perfect foldable in the market. It improves the built and hinge quality and even comes with water resistance, assuring the stability of its design. What’s more, you can even add in a stylus (which has to be bought separately), making full use of its 7-inch+ unfolded screen. 

The cover display also gets bumped up with a high-resolution panel and a 120Hz refresh rate, while the main display inside gets a dynamic AMOLED panel and a class-leading under-display camera. 

Clearly, the Galaxy Z Fold3 is the pinnacle of foldable technology in 2022, and starting at $200 less than its predecessor, it’s a phone worthy of recommendation, i.e. if it’s within your budget. 

Galaxy Z Fold 2

Fret not if the Galaxy Z Fold3 is not within your budget. Last year’s Z Fold 2 is a competitive device for its current price, and 2021’s best foldable is still worth buying in 2022. 

The phone features a similar form factor as the Z Fold3, a 7.6-inch internal display, and a 6.2-inch cover screen (albeit with lower resolution). While the phone is heavier and bulkier than its successor, it still features most of the features of the new device, especially after the recent software updates. So, if you want a foldable that’s slightly cheaper than the Z Fold3, this would be your best bet for multitasking and productivity tasks. 

However, if you can extend your budget by a couple of hundred dollars, we would still recommend the Z Fold3, as it’s the best horizontal folding device in the market right now. 

Galaxy Z Flip3

Flip phones have made a comeback, in the form of vertical folding smartphones. So there’s no surprise that a lot of consumers have a preference for this clamshell design over the regular horizontal folding devices. 

The third generation Galaxy Z Flip3 is the best vertical folding device that you can get in the market right now. The upgrades from last year’s model like a larger 1.9-inch cover display and IPX8 certification (much like the Z Fold3) make it a significantly better device than its predecessors. On the inside, you get a 6.7-inch AMOLED 120Hz panel with a Snapdragon 888 chip and 8GB of RAM. And considering the discounted starting price of the device, we can easily recommend the Z Flip3 to those who are looking for a compact and relatively cheaper foldable in the market.

Note that, like all other clamshell foldables, battery life is still one of its weakest departments. The charging speed isn’t great either at 15W wired charging, but you do get 10W wireless charging support. 

Huawei Mate XS

The Huawei Mate XS may have seen a limited international release, but the phone is an excellent foldable if you can live without Google apps. 

The phone continues on its outward folding design, bringing a single large 8-inch screen that folds out to make for a 6.6-inch cover display. Yes, this design is pretty unique and a different approach from the Samsung foldable. With a Kirin 990 chip, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage and 40MP led quad-cameras taking care of the specs department, the Huawei Mate XS is a pretty powerful foldable, despite launching a couple of years ago. 

If not for the lack of Google App support, the Mate XS would have received a much more widespread release. That said, the phone is still pretty hard to get. So, despite being a pretty good foldable, you’ll most likely have to opt for a device from another brand. 

Moto Razr 2020 5G

Motorola brought back the Razr series to life with the Razr foldable lineup a couple of years back. And the company’s last Razr clamshell foldable, the Razr 2020 is still a decent device in 2022. The company builds on the clamshell form factor with a larger 2.7-inch external display that’s bigger than its Samsung rival with an internal 6.2-inch panel. It’s powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 765G processor with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There is one 48MP shooter with OIS on the back and a 20MP selfie shooter. 

Like other clamshell foldables, the battery is again one of its drawbacks. However, with the occasional discounts, the phone can be purchased for under $1000, which would make it a decent alternative to the Galaxy Z Flip3. 

Royole FlexPai 2

The Royole FlexPai stole the thunder from the big brands back in 2018 when it announced the first foldable smartphone. A lot of us were surprised to hear a small-time brand making the big headlines, but honestly, the first generation was far from perfect. Luckily, the company’s second generation model, the FlexPai 2, improves on all the aspects of the initial generation and is better suited for daily use. The company follows Huawei’s approach in using an outward folding design and comes with productivity features like split screen viewing on its large 7.8-inch display.  

With a better build quality and design than the initial generation, the Royole FlexPai 2 can be an alternative to the big brands if you live in China. 

Huawei P50 Pocket

Huawei’s Galaxy Z Flip3 rival, the Huawei P50 Pocket saw a wider international release than its predecessors. The device comes with a form factor similar to the Z Flip3, featuring a premium design, an excellent camera setup, and a no-crease 6.9-inch OLED display on the inside. The design especially is the stand-out feature of the device and is even considered by some, to be better than its Galaxy rival. Notably, it also comes with a relatively large 4000mAh battery with 40W charging, a rarity in its segment. 

However, the lack of Google apps, limited availability, and 4G-only support will still hamper the phone’s chances of shining in this market. Also, even if you find it listed online, it’s likely to be way more expensive than its Galaxy rival. 

If you live in China, you have a bunch of additional foldable options in the market. And we feel it’s worth checking out the recently announced OPPO Find N (review). 

OPPO Find N

OPPO’s first foldable, the OPPO Find N is pretty impressive considering its robust built quality, a powerful triple camera setup that’s comparable to high-end devices, and excellent battery life. Most notably, the phone features a wider 5.5-inch cover screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio, unlike its rivals in the segment with a weird aspect ratio. On the inside, you have a pretty large 7.1-inch 120Hz tablet-like display with Gorilla Glass Victus protection. 

Under the hood, the phone comes with last year’s Snapdragon 888 with up to 12GB of RAM, so it’s never going to be short of power. It also features a large 4500mAh battery with 33W wired and 15W wireless charging. Unfortunately, it lacks water resistance, unlike its Galaxy rival. 

Another big drawback of the phone as I mentioned above is its limited China availability. But if you want to get one, you can resort to international retailers like Giztop to order one for yourself outside of China.

We have also seen more foldables from smartphone brands like Xiaomi and Honor. But the above list contains the foldables that we think are the best options in 2022. 

If you think we missed any specific foldable from this list, let us know in the comments section down below.

* Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

The post Best Foldable Phones 2022 – Samsung, Motorola, Huawei appeared first on Gizmochina.

Fans of foldable smartphones have something to be excited about, with the release of the Vertu Ayxta Fold 5G. Vertu is well known for its luxury customizations and it has taken that craft to foldable phones.

The Ayxta Fold 5G is merely a customized version of the Royole Flexpai 2. It retains the original design and specs lineup of the Flexpai 2 includng the Snapdragon 865 chip, but sees some changes including a new operating system, leather-covered back cover, and a number of fashionable additions to make the phone a fashion statement. It could well be an important part of the accessories of the fashionista.

But it comes at a high price. The Vertu Ayxta Fold 5G is listed on Jingdong (JD.com) in China for over 45,000 Yuan (about $7,000), which is well on the high end of the spectrum.

This foldable luxury smartphone has the same general specifications at par with a number of quite less expensive models which include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB internal storage, a 7.8 inches display screen, and others. The Vertu Ayxta Fold 5G has a 64 MP main camera and a 32 MP selfie cam.

The justification for the cost of the luxury smartphone may just be because it could serve as a fashion accessory for its users. However, the critical components of the smartphone including an operating system based on Android 10 could be a reason why a few may stay away from having it.

It remains to be seen how the Chinese high-end fashionable segment would react to the entry of the Ayxta Fold 5G into the market.

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In late 2018, out of nowhere, a company named Royole (Rouyu) announced the world’s first foldable smartphone dubbed as FlexPai. This firm has been existing since 2012 specializing in flexible display technology, however, FlexPai was their first-ever smartphone. Now, more than a  year later, the company has launched its successor called FlexPai 2.

Last week, Royole scheduled an event for today (September 22) to unveil FlexPai 2. A few days later, almost entire specs of this device leaked. Now, the handset is official and is already up for pre-order in China priced at 9,988 yuan ($1,471), which happens to be ~40% cheaper than Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2’s 16,999 yuan ($2,505) price tag in the country.

Royole FlexPai 2 Specifications

The newly launched Royole FlexPai 2 brings a  number of improvements over its predecessor. The most obvious one is its display. Unlike its forerunner, the 3rd Generation Cicada Wing flexible OLED display with Stepless 3S Hinge (180°) on the FlexPai 2 can be folded flat with a zero-gap. The company claims they have decreased the overall thickness of the phone when folded by 40%, compared to their previous model.

Further, the 7.8-inch unfolded display, which is larger than any other foldable smartphone in the market has a resolution of 1920 x 1,440 pixels with 4:3 aspect ratio. On the other hand, when folded, the main and secondary display will measure 5.5-inch (1,440 x 900) and 5.4-inch (1,440 x 810) respectively.

Under the hood, the device comes equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset coupled with 8GB/12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB internal storage. There’s no support for microSD card but the handset comes with dual nano-SIM card slots and also has dual-mode (SA/NSA) 5G connectivity.

It runs waterOS 2.0 based on Android 10 with an uncanny resemblance to Huawei’s EMUI operating system. In case you do not know, the software on the original FlexPai looked similar to MIUI. Anyway, the phone does come with features to use three apps at a time, camera mirror, and others to make use of its foldable display. These features are again similar to those found on Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Z Fold2, Mate X, and Mate Xs.

The major upgrade in FlexPai 2 apart from the display is its quad-camera setup. It features a 64MP primary sensor paired with a 16MP sensor with a 116° ultra-wide-angle lens, an 8MP sensor 3x telephoto lens, and a 32MP sensor dedicated for selfies. All of them sit vertically along with an LED flash facing front.

Other features of this device include WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, BeiDou, Galileo, GLONASS), USB 3.1 Type-C, dual stereo speakers, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, compass, and barometer.

The FlexPai come in three colors namely Sunrise Gold, Midnight Black, and Cosmic Gray backed by a 4,450mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0).

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Royole FlexPai 2 Pricing & Availability

The Royole FlexPai 2 is only limited to China for now and will retail for the following prices.

• 8GB + 256GB – 9,988 yuan ($1,471)
• 12GB + 512GB – 11,588 yuan ($1707)

Royole’s second foldable smartphone is currently up for pre-order on Jingdong (JD) and will go on sale starting 10 AM on September 25.

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Foldable smartphones have been a trend since early 2019. Although many accredited Samsung for making the innovative step, it was actually Royole that was the first to launch a foldable smartphone. And now, the company has just unveiled the Flexpai 2, the successor to the first smartphone with a flexible display.

Royole Flexpai 2 features the 3rd generation Cicada wing, which is basically a fancier term for the company’s flexible display panel. The latest iteration features various improvements over its predecessor and now has a smaller crease and bend radius. This also allows for an increase in brightness, contrast and offers a better viewing angle.

Under the hood, Royole Flexpai 2 houses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC alongside the X55 5G modem. Its display is a 7.8 inch screen with a 4:3 ration when fully opened. It also features the latest LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.0 storage as well. Unfortunately, details regarding its battery capacity are still unknown, but that is to be expected since there is still time for the device officially launches.

In the conference, Royole officials showcased the display, which was the highlighting part of the event. The improvements in technology was boasted, rightly so, and the panel has reportedly withstood 200,000+ bends without sustaining any damage. This new flexible panel features nearly 100 micro nanomaterials that improve the strain recovery and “layer peeling.” In other words, there are less chances of creases and bubbles forming when the device is unfolded.

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According to Royole, the Flexpai 2’s new Cicada Wing will feature 1.3x better color gamut and 500x the contrast, thanks to its high quality LCD panel. The handset will also feature a unique custom designed display driver that is integrated in the circuit chip. On the other hand, the display panel can be folded in multiple directions and even rolled on its own, showcasing the advancements in the flexible display field.

Royole Flexpai 2 was showcased in an event in China by CEO Bill Liu, who also announced the company’s partnership with another electronics brand, ZTE. This may be indicative of ZTE using Flexpai’s technology, integrating the display in its own foldable smartphone series. However, that is just speculation. Thus, take it with a grain of salt. The Flexpai 2 is expected to launch in Q2 of 2020, so stay tuned.

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(Via)

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