Vivo is expected to launch a new foldable phone soon – according to a report from tipster Snoopy Tech – rumored to be a flip-style or clamshell foldable, akin to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Motorola Razr 2022.
According to Snoopy, the phone is to be branded the Vivo X Flip and is already receiving Google Play certification, with a launch to follow shortly. Vivo has not yet announced any upcoming events as of time of writing. The company had previously launched an Vivo X Fold – its take on a Galaxy Z Fold-style foldable in 2022 – along with a successor later that same year, called the X Fold Plus. Neither has officially been made available globally, as of yet.
The launch of a potential new Vivo foldable comes at an interesting time for parent company BBK Electronics. Even if reports of sister companies Oppo and OnePlus pulling out of Europe proved to be grossly exaggerated (i.e. false), Vivo’s foldable strategy to date does suggest that the X Flip may not see a release outside of China and other Asian markets. This leaves Oppo’s first internationally-available foldable (read our Oppo Find N2 Flip review for more on that) and OnePlus’ forthcoming foldable to operate in those markets in its stead.
A growing form factor
With the advent of smartphones, angrily ending a phone call by pressing a button lacks the gravitas you’d get from slamming a phone down or snapping a clamshell shut. Clamshell-style foldables solve that problem among others, and we’re always happy to see more of them. Here at TechRadar, we favor clamshell foldables; with the top two entries in our best foldable phone roundup currently sporting that more compact form-factor.
Though Samsung has a first-mover advantage, one thing we can expect Vivo to bring to the market is enhanced camera functionality. The Oppo Flip N2 series have what are currently the best cameras you’ll find on a foldable; buoyed by Oppo’s experience in making really good camera phones. We can expect the same from Vivo, who also place a heavy focus on camera capability on its phones. Faster charging than what Samsung offers, a bigger battery, and possibly a larger cover screen could make this an enticing purchase, should it come to the UK, Europe and beyond.
