Royole FlexPai Hands-on: The first foldable smartphone is full of compromises

I came to CES 2019 in hopes of communicable a glimpse of both Samsung's and LG's upcoming foldable smartphones.

Unfortunately for me, it looks like those two particular devices volition exist revealed at Mobile Globe Congress (MWC) this coming February in Barcelona, Spain. Instead, Royale, a China-based company I have absolutely never heard of, now holds the honour of releasing the first commercially available foldable smartphone, the FlexPai.

Afterward spending only a brief amount of time with the handset, it's immediately apparent Royole rushed the FlexPai's release to merits the coveted prize of being the manufacturer to drop the first foldable smartphone.

The company even prominently highlights the fact the FlexPai is indeed "the world's starting time" commercially bachelor foldable smartphone in the device'southward spec sheet.

FlexPai

With this in mind, if yous were hoping the FlexPai would exist the sleeper hitting smartphone of the year, you're nearly to be disappointed.

The FlexPai'due south foldable display measures in at seven.viii-inches diagonally with a 1920 ten 1440 pixel resolution that is cutting in one-half when the device folded into what Royole is calling telephone mode. And then, when the device is closed, it becomes ii smartphones. Yeah, you lot read that correctly.

A Royole representative on the show flooring at CES told me that the foldable device features two SIM card slots, with the smartphone being able to car-detect the folded screen you're currently using while the other display remains off.

FlexPai

If this sounds confusing, yous're correct. The entire system is even more baffling in person. When shifted to tablet style, the content from the telephone you've prepare every bit your main device expands across the larger display.

Regarding screens, the FlexPai'southward display looks surprisingly sharp thanks to its 308ppi pixel density and 1920 10 1440 resolution. That said, the colouring is strange in specific areas. For instance, around the FlexPai'southward display swivel the device's blue groundwork seemed to feature a darker tone.

The actual folding mechanism worked quite well and required more force than I expected, leading me to believe information technology probably tin't be broken easily. The rep on paw repeatedly reminded me that the device does not fold inwards, perhaps indicating this is a blueprint flaw the company frequently encountered on the CES bear witness floor while showing the phone off.

FlexPai

It's really the software experience where the FlexPai falls autonomously. Apps frequently modify orientation when opening and closing the phone and in some cases, apps even end up overlapping each other in foreign ways. Royole's Android pare, which the company calls 'H2o Bone,' just doesn't seem to be equipped to handle the FlexPai's dual-screen form cistron consistently or reliably.

The FlexPai's other specs include a 'Qualcomm Snapdragon viii Series' processor — it's unclear what specific version — 6GB or 8GB of RAM and an f/1.8 sixteen-megapixel/20-megapixel dual camera.

Though folding the FlexPai was undeniably absurd, I still question the utility of foldable devices in full general. I've yet to meet a viable reason for why they need to be across manufacturers desperately seeking new means to go consumers excited virtually smartphones again.

It's important to annotation that it'south unlikely the FlexPai will make its way to Canada. The device is currently only available in the Chinese market, though a representative from the company says there are plans to launch the foldable smartphone in the U.Due south. soon.

When I specifically asked near a Canadian release, the rep smiled and said there's always a possibility that it could happen at some point in the futurity, though I remain doubtful it will actually happen.

Royole'due south FlexPai is priced at 8,999 Yuan, which comes to roughly $ane,320 USD or $1,746 CAD.