The Royole FlexPai 2 launches in China to little fanfare as the follow-up to the world’s first foldable smartphone
- The Royole FlexPai 2 boasts better screen and software performance and comes in under US$1,500
- The original FlexPai was the world’s first foldable phone, but the chunky footprint and buggy performance didn’t leave a good impression
The Chinese brand that launched the world’s first foldable smartphone, beating Samsung and Huawei to the punch, is back with a new model.
On Tuesday, Shenzhen-based Royole launched the FlexPai 2, the company’s second foldable phone. Starting at just 9,988 yuan (US$1,470), the FlexPai 2 is one of the cheapest smartphones with a foldable display available today, especially one with a tablet-sized display.
The FlexPai 2 appears to keep much of the same design. Like its predecessor, the new FlexPai folds outwards, keeping the foldable display exposed. And when fully extended, it has a 7.8-inch display, making it roughly the size of an iPad mini.
The FlexPai 2 just went on sale in China, so we haven’t been able to test the phone ourselves. But if a demo from Royole CEO Bill Liu and hands-on videos on Chinese social media are any indication, the phone has made at least some improvements over the original.
The display looks sturdier and less plasticky, with a less visible crease down the middle. Royole says the display has “mirror-like smoothness”.