vivo X Fold: Four years of research and development just to create a "perfect" folding screen phone

      While we are still discussing whether "foldable screen mobile phones can become the main machine", the market for this mobile phone product that is "a bit new and a bit nostalgic" in form has quietly changed.

　　If you pay attention to the mobile phone market, you will find that a large number of foldable screen mobile phones have been launched recently, from OPPO Find N to Honor Magic V, to Huawei P50 Treasure Box, and the upcoming vivo X Fold. In addition to multiple brands entering the "foldable screen" market, data from a third-party research institution is enough to show that this "cake" is getting bigger and bigger.

A large wave of foldable screen phones is coming

　　According to market research firm Canalys, shipments of foldable smartphones reached 8.9 million in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 148%, while the overall smartphone market grew by only 7%. The company also confidently predicted that by 2024, global annual shipments of foldable phones will exceed 30 million, a figure that will be three times that of 2021.

　　Whether it is the frequent efforts of mobile phone manufacturers or the research and interpretation of third-party institutions, they all indicate that the future of the foldable screen mobile phone market will be bright. The era of foldable screen mobile phones may really be coming.

　　1. Using time to exchange for quality, Blue Factory aims to make a "perfect" folding screen

　　If you count on your fingers, you will find that among the top 5 brands that have not yet launched foldable screen phones, only vivo and Apple are left. We won’t say much about Apple. Given Apple’s rather “conservative” approach, it may have been paying attention to foldable screen phones, or it may have been quietly developing them in places we don’t know about. But if we really want to see a foldable iPhone on the market, we may have to wait a little longer.

　　Vivo's first folding phone is coming soon. You may ask, other Android manufacturers have already "taken the lead", and some brands have even upgraded their products for several generations. Isn't it a little late for Vivo to enter the market?

　　I think it’s not too late.

　　In the past, although vivo has not launched a foldable screen mobile phone, it has always paid attention to this field. Some time ago, Huang Tao, vice president of vivo products, updated a Weibo post, in which he said that vivo started the research and development of foldable screen products four years ago and has launched dozens of versions. The reason for the constant self-denial is that they want to bring users a "perfect" foldable screen flagship.

　　2. In an era of flourishing foldable screens, what is considered "perfect"?

　　What is the "perfect" foldable screen?

　　Before answering this question, let’s first look at several key issues with existing folding screen products.

　　The first is the foldable screen. Huang Tao, vice president of product at vivo, emphasized in his Weibo post that "the screen is the most important thing" and "the screen experience cannot be sacrificed because of the foldable form." This requires that the inner screen must not only be large, but also that the connection between the inner and outer screens must be compact and the experience must be consistent. In this regard, some manufacturers will choose to focus on the inner screen and abandon part of the outer screen experience. For example, the outer screen is made narrower so that it is more convenient to put in a pocket when folded; or the display quality and refresh rate of the inner and outer screens are inconsistent, affecting the experience of opening and closing the connection.