Late last year it was reported that Google, Xiaomi, and OPPO would launch foldable smartphones in the second half of 2021. A new report from TheElec has provides more details about the devices.
The South Korean outlet claims that all three companies are planning to launch in-folding phones this year and they will all procure OLED panels from Samsung.
The report also says that OPPO is going to release a clamshell phone with a screen that measures 7.7-inches in the unfolded state. The handset’s outer display is said to be between 1.5 and 2-inches. The company had previously also considered BOE and Visionox, but it looks like it has chosen Samsung as the sole supplier.
Although out-folding devices are apparently comparatively easier to manufacture, they are more vulnerable to damage, which explains why Huawei’s new Mate X2 folds inwards unlike its predecessor.
Sales of foldable handsets are expected to be worth $2.1 billion this year, an increase of 203 percent from 2020. Samsung unsurprisingly is the market leader at the moment. The company’s next foldable flagship, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, is highly likely to support the S Pen stylus. Some rumors also claim that it is going to be the South Korean giant’s first handset to feature an under panel camera.
