Apart from Samsung and HTC, Oppo and TLC also presented foldable smartphones. While the two large manufacturers can come up with finished products, the two Chinese manufacturers only showed ideas (TLC) or a prime example (Oppo).
With the Chinese network Weibo, Oppo chose a place of imagination that was as alien to the West as it could be. The presented foldable Android smartphone is neither a prototype nor a market-ready device. Oppo wants the smartphone shown on photos to be understood as a prime example. When folded, the display is on the outside. The photos do not show much more. According to Brian Shen of Oppo, the manufacturer wants to wait for demand before deciding whether mass production of the foldable phones will be worth it. The vague pictures, the lack of information and the strange presentation stage are therefore quite deliberate – Oppo has simply not yet decided whether the step to the foldable smartphone should already be taken.
It’s a little different with TLC. While the presentation here is limited to ideas and sketches, the plans are big. The Chinese manufacturer plans to launch a foldable smartphone for less than 1,000 euros next year. However, the concepts do not yet seem to be fully developed. TLC experiments with various designs and assembly variants. However, it is known that the displays will be manufactured with patented DragonHinge technology by the sister company CSOT. Product Director David Derrida also stated that it was now a question of opening up new areas of application for foldable devices with the appropriate software. He also stated that foldable and flexible displays were also conceivable for wearables. For example, a bent smartphone can also be worn around the wrist. The brand and technical specifications under which TLC, which manufactures Blackberry and Alcatel smartphones, among others, will manufacture the device and bring it to market, are not yet known.
It should be noted that two other companies are planning and developing foldable smartphones. However, the announcements and concepts remain relatively vague so far, so that further developments remain to be seen.
