Vivo released two new foldable flagship phones on Thursday, a large Vivo X Fold2 and a clamshell foldable Vivo X Flip, the first time the brand has released a smaller-style flip phone. The second generation of Vivo’s foldable line, the Vivo X Fold 2 is the first foldable smartphone powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The phone is now available for pre-order in the Chinese market and will start shipping on 28 April.
Why it matters: As the larger smartphone market sees a sustained period of slowing growth, brands are increasingly looking to foldable devices to boost flagging sales and diversify their offerings. In 2022, sales of foldable phones in the Chinese market reached 2.83 million units, up 144% year-on-year, according to research firm CINNO. Smartphone shipments in China in 2022 experienced a 22% drop from the year before, hitting 272 million. Despite strong growth, foldable still remains a niche sector however.
Details: With the inclusion of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the first time Qualcomm’s high-end processor has been used on a foldable phone, the X Fold 2 is being positioned as a major flagship smartphone by Vivo.
- The Vivo X Fold 2 comes with a 2K+E6 Samsung dual screen, including a 8.03-inch E6 AMOLED main screen, providing a resolution of 2,160 x 1,916 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,800nits. The external screen measures about 6.53 inches, with 2,520 x 1,080 pixels resolution, up to 1600 nits brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Both screens support 3D ultrasonic screen fingerprints.
- In terms of performance, the Vivo X Fold 2 is equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and LPDDR5X + UFS 4.0 memory. It also comes with a self-developed V2 imaging chip, first used on the Vivo X90 series, for improved camera and gaming performance. It has a large battery of 4,800mAh and 120W dual-core flash charge, which can be charged to 100% in 26 minutes.
- The phone weighs 279.5 grams, 31.5 grams lighter than the first generation. Folded, the phone measures 161.29 x 73.42 x 13.2mm; expanded, it measures 161.29 x 143.43 x 5.95mm.
- The triple-camera system includes a 50MP main camera with OIS support and an f/1.75 aperture, a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 12MP telephoto camera. The primary 50MP main camera with Sony IMCX 866 sensor has a Zeiss T* coating.
- Additionally, the company claims the X Fold 2’s new self-developed hinge can take up to 400,000 folds without breaking.
- The X Fold 2 is priced at RMB 8,999 ($1,306) for 12GB/256GB storage and RMB 9,999 ($1,452) for 12GB/512GB storage. It comes in three colors: black, blue, and red.
- The Vivo X Flip is the company’s first clamshell foldable, featuring a three-inch external display. It has a 6.74-inch 120Hz OLED inner screen with 1,200 nits brightness. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the new flip phone starts at RMB 5,999 (around $870) for the basic 12GB RAM + 256GB model.
Context: Vivo has a lot of catching up to do in the foldable sector, ranking fifth in China’s foldable market in 2022 and taking just a 5.8% share of a market dominated by Huawei and Samsung, according to CINNO. Huawei’s share of the market last year was 51%, followed by Samsung at 22.8%, and Oppo at 7.7%.
- Oppo is also seeing quick growth of its foldable phones this year, capturing a 30% market share in January 2023, overtaking market leader Huawei in that month. This growth is attributed to the strong performance of Oppo’s Find N2 and Find N2 Flip models.