Last week, a questionable rumor emerged claiming Oppo and Vivo would fully abandon the foldable smartphone market due to disappointing 2023 sales. As surprising as such a withdrawal could seem given major prior investments in foldable R&D, stranger decisions have certainly occurred before among mobile players.
Fortunately for foldable fans, Oppo has officially dispelled rumors of its foldable division’s demise. In a statement to the press, a company spokesperson reaffirmed Oppo’s dedication to advancing foldable technology remains unchanged, promising additional updates and announcements down the road.
While largely overlooked in Western markets, Oppo’s recent book-style foldable – the OnePlus Open/Find N3 – earned critical acclaim as arguably 2022’s best large-format folding phone. Losing Oppo’s innovations could have dealt a major blow to the nascent product category. Thankfully, next-generation foldables like the Open 2 and vertical-flipping Find N4 Flip appear safely in development.
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For now, foldable fanciers can rest easy knowing Oppo still firmly believes in exploring the cutting-edge form factor’s possibilities. As the company says, official updates regarding new foldable smartphones are surely yet to come. The ball now sits in Vivo’s court to follow Oppo’s lead by denying similar rumors of its own folding ambitions winding down.