Royole unveils Flexpai 2 – claims it’s more durable than the competition
Royole has unveiled the Flexpai 2, a slimmer and lighter foldable than the fairly terrible − in an endearing way − original Royole FlexPai.
The company’s latest smartphone-cum-tablet has a new Cicada Wing flexible display, which is claimed to offer better brightness and contrast, as well as making for a more durable folding screen.
Durability has been a key talking point in the evolution of folding phones so far, so it will be interesting to see how the Flexpai 2 measures up when we get hands-on with the handset. Like Samsung has with its foldables, Royole claims the new FlexPai will complete over 200,000 bends before showing any signs of wear.
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The phone was unveiled by CEO Bill Liu at Royole’s Technology and Partnership conference. Liu boasted that the company uses “aircraft-grade materials” in constructing the phone’s “very reliable” hinge.
Liu took aim at Royole’s competitors too, when he claimed the phone would be better for viewing films than other foldable phones. He said: “If we compare the Flexpai 2 to other foldable smartphones on the market, the Flexpai 2 has the highest movie-playing area [of 6.72-inches].”
Similarly, Liu claims the phone will have a larger viewing area for games and other video content when compared to some of its closest competitors.
Liu notably refused to name the rival devices he thought the Flexpai 2 could out-perform. Samsung currently seems to be leading the foldables pack, in terms of quantity, but the Motorola Razr is probably the most talked-about foldable phone (in a positive sense, anyway) we’ve had so far.
It will be interesting to see how the phones compare when the FlexPai 2 gets a full release.
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“We have the most advanced 5G technologies,” said Liu in a section of the presentation so vague it sounded a little Trumpian. “We implemented the most advanced, high performance components here.”
A look under the hood suggests things might be okay though. The phone packs a 5G modem, a Snapdragon 865 processor and an Adreno 650 GPU that the company claims will offer 25% better performance. That’s a big jump and, again, we’re keen to get our hands on the phone and test the claim out.
The company has made some pretty big promises and lashed out at competitors in revealing the phone. However, if the original Flexpai is anything to go, foldable fans shouldn’t get too excited just yet.
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The original Flexpai was interesting, but had some huge flaws. Our review said: “It’s clear the FlexPai has been rushed out to ensure it claims the crown of the world’s first foldable phone. It’s a shame then, that it’ll likely be remembered for its terrible user experience rather than its genuinely interesting foldable design.”
The Flexpai 2 isn’t launching just yet. Potential customers will have to wait until Q2 this year to get their hands on the phone. Stay tuned for more updates.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
