FlexPai, world's first foldable phone now available at Rs. 1,14,200
FlexPAi, the world's first foldable smartphone, is now available at a starting price of Rs. $1,588 (approx. Rs. 1,14,200). The phone, unveiled in October by California-based Royole, was touted to come with a Snapdragon 8-series processor. However, the company has now confirmed that FlexPai will ship with the latest Snapdragon 855, making it the first smartphone to debut the chipset. Here's our roundup.
FlexPai: At a glance
First up, it offers a novel foldable design that opens out to form a tablet. In the unfolded state, you see slim skirting around the three sides and a prominent bezel on one side which houses the dual-cameras. On the back, there's glossy-metallic chassis (presumably glass) with a thick rubber hinge across the center of the device where the phone folds and unfolds.
All about the screen
The FlexPai features a 7.8-inch (expanded mode) AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920x1440 pixels and a 308ppi pixel density. The display, in three different working positions, features an aspect ratio of 4:3, 16:9 and 18:9. When folded, the curved-edge screen shows alerts and notifications. Royole claims the screen is "virtually unbreakable and extremely durable" and has passed over 200,000 bend tests.
FlexPai: Internals and camera
The FlexPai is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, paired with Adreno 630 GPU, 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage (expandable upto 256GB). The phone sports a dual-view (front and back) 16MP+20MP dual-camera setup with an f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization and LED flash. It packs 3,800mAh battery with 25W RO fast charge support and runs Android Pie-based WaterOS 1.0.
Connectivity options and sensors onboard
In terms of connectivity options, the phone supports dual SIM cards (Nano), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/A-GPS, USB Type-C port for charging and audio output (no headphone jack). Sensors onboard the FlexPai include an ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer, multi-axis gyro, compass, hall effect sensor, barometer, and a fingerprint sensor.
Pricing and availability
Royole FlexPai comes at a starting price of $1,588 (approx. Rs. 1,14,200) for 128GB storage model and goes up to $1,759 (approx. Rs. 1,26,500) for the top-end 256GB storage variant. Those interested can buy the phone via Royole's website.
