Some wild rumors are floating around the foldable phone space lately. According to questionable sources:
Oppo, Vivo Foldable Exit?
Oppo and Vivo are allegedly ready to exit the foldable market entirely after seeing lackluster sales last year. This would include OnePlus as well.
If true, it would leave the foldable arena wide open for Samsung and Huawei. But such a dramatic move seems unlikely.
Huawei’s Tri-Fold Concept
Meanwhile, Huawei is rumored to be developing a tri-fold design – essentially a foldable with two hinges creating a Z-shaped 10-inch tablet when unfolded.
This niche product aims to launch before June apparently. We’ll see if the complex design actually materializes.
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Samsung’s Future Plans
With rivals struggling, Samsung has supposedly finished working on rollable display tech. So a rollable phone could be in the cards down the road.
They may also counter Huawei’s tri-fold with a similar multi-hinge design. But nothing concrete yet.
Pinch of Salt Required
Obviously, these rumors should be taken with extreme skepticism. Foldable phones remain a very niche, experimental product segment.
While sales are lackluster so far, it seems unlikely major players like Oppo and Vivo would abandon innovation in this space entirely.
Huawei’s tri-fold concept is intriguing if real, but the practicality is questionable. We’ll have to wait and see which direction foldable devices take in 2023 and beyond.