Samsung and LG have been hard at work developing foldable and bendable displays, and now an OPPO foldable phone has been revealed ahead of release.
Some of the most interesting smartphone designs of recent years have emerged from Samsung and LG, who are both intently experimenting with bendable displays. Now, out of the blue, an OPPO foldable phone has leaked, revealing a smartphone with an internal hinge.
Previously, Samsung has been tipped to be in the midst of production with a concept dubbed “Project Valley”, which would introduce a smartphone which would fold along a horizontal hinge.
Read: Samsung slates foldable smartphones for introduction in 2016
The Project Valley smartphone, tipped to be named the ‘Galaxy X, might be a good few years away, and has now apparently been beaten to the finish line by OPPO.
A Chinese tipster leaked an image depicting the OPPO foldable phone on messaging board Zaeke, which has revealed a large, phablet-size device with a hinge bisecting the device’s center.
Allegedly, the OPPO foldable phone has been in the early stages of production since August of 2015, and company engineers only finalized the device’s flexible display towards the end of February this year.
The device is rumoured to include VOOC charging and runs on ColorOS, but is apparently nowhere near completion and might not head to market at all.
Regardless, the indication that OPPO has successfully built a foldable phone gives a positive indication that work being carried out by the likes of Samsung and LG might, in the future, see the light of day. Most recently, the latter demonstrated its rollable OLED bar at CES.
Read: LG set to display its rollable OLED panel at CES
What are your thoughts on the OPPO foldable phone? Would you be interested in buying a device that is capable of folding into a more pocketable size? Be sure to let us know your opinion in the comments below!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
Source: Zaeke (Translated)

