I live X Flip: already sketches of the future folding smartphone

The year 2023 should bring pride of place to foldable smartphones, and Vivo has every intention of positioning itself in this growing market. We have already been able to take control of the X Fold+, a particularly attractive device whose design is reminiscent of Samsung’s already famous Galaxy Z Fold. Unfortunately, the latter is currently reserved for the Asian market.

The Chinese brand is also working on another model called the Vivo X Flip, this time opting for a clamshell format. Scheduled for the first quarter of 2023, the mobile is supposed to offer an alternative to models like the Galaxy Z Flip or the upcoming Oppo Find N2 Flip.

Several Chinese leakers (including Digital Chat Station) have investigated the issue and have gotten hold of two mockups of the smartphone. It can be seen open, on both sides. The opportunity to see that it takes up the visual codes of the recent Vivo X90. The aluminum hinge and the large circular photoisland are reminiscent of the rear of the latter.

On the outside, we note the presence of a horizontal screen 682 pixels wide. It should cover a lot of uses without having to open the smartphone. It would have a double photosensor and would benefit from the expertise of the German Zeiss, whose logo we can see. A Led flash accompanies the set. If the idea of ​​integrating more modules seems attractive, it would force us to reduce the size of the sensors, which could be felt in the shots.

A promising external display

According to this document, the main screen should display 1080 pixels wide. Nothing surprising since competing smartphones from Samsung, Motorola or Oppo also have panels that display Full HD +. Only Huawei and its P50 Pocket can do better with a definition of 1188 x 2790 pixels and a very high resolution of 442 ppi.

We can see the volume buttons on the right edge, above the power button which should also act as a fingerprint reader. No information on the technical sheet has been communicated yet, even if we can expect a high-end configuration.

The choice of SoC will be crucial to obtain good autonomy. An aspect that is always missing in these particular models. Some leaks (via the PlayfulDroid site) mention a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which seems pretty sensible.

If Vivo really has the first quarter in the offing, we should know more very soon. It remains to be seen if it is destined only for China or if an international launch is planned.