Competition in the foldable phone space is about to heat up big time. According to a report from Korean tech publication The Elec (via Trusted Reviews), four smartphone manufacturers including Google are gearing up to launch foldable phones of their own by year’s end.
The report details how ultra-thin cover glass (UTG) has succeeded polyimide film in the making of foldables, but also details how Google is working on a foldable Pixel phone to be launched towards the end of the year.
Looks like Google eventually took Samsung up on its offer to supply the former with foldable phone screens. Not much is known about Google’s purported foldable Pixel other than rumours of a 7.6-inch screen when fully unfolded — giving it dimensions similar to those of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Samsung is all set to unveil its latest foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, at the Galaxy Unpacked event on August 11. The rest of the industry doesn’t plan on letting Samsung have easy pickings in the foldables space again this year, though.
In addition to Google, Chinese smartphone makers Xiaomi, Vivo, and Honor are all working on their own entrants to this budding segment of the smartphone market.
It appears that all of the brands working on foldables right now have unanimously embraced the phone/tablet hybrid format, with a decent-sized outer panel and a much larger tablet-like experience when the device is fully unfolded.
Oppo, another Chinese phone maker, is also working on a foldable phone with a 5.45-inch external panel and a 7.1-inch inner display, but that device is slated to be launched sometime next year.
With four of the five foldables being manufactured by Chinese companies, Google’s foldable offering may be the only one to get a global launch out of the bunch.
Given the intricacies of developing a foldable phone, however, don’t be surprised if launch timelines are pushed and these devices make it to market later rather than sooner.
Earlier this year, even Apple was reported to be testing foldable screens for its iPhones.
