- Oppo is reportedly testing a foldable clamshell phone.
- The device is said to have a 7-inch main screen and a 2-inch external display.
Samsung and Motorola were the first brands to offer foldable clamshell phones and a large smartphone screen that folds up to fit easily in your pocket. We haven’t seen any other manufacturers launch competing devices, but it looks like Oppo could be the next.
Weibo tipster Arsenal (h / t: PlayfulDroid) claims the Chinese manufacturer is testing a foldable phone that has a 7-inch main screen when unfolded. They add that when the device is closed, it has an external 2-inch screen. This would be larger than the 1.1-inch exterior screen on the Galaxy Z Flip, but smaller than the 2.7-inch secondary panel on the Razr 5G.
The leaker also claims that Oppo offers an LTPO screen (presumably for the main display). Phones with LTPO screens offer high refresh rates with better battery efficiency compared to phones without this technology. We’ve also seen phones equipped with LTPO like the Oppo Find X3 Pro drop to just 1Hz when viewing pictures, which saves more juice.
There’s no word from Arsenal regarding a possible launch window or whether this will actually see a commercial release. Nevertheless, we would like more competition in the foldable clamshell area, especially since we see more Galaxy Z Fold competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi.
For what it’s worth, the leaker appears to have a solid track record. They accurately specified the Oppo Find X3 series launch date and reported the Vivo S9e specs even before the launch.
