In January, Ross Young, the founder, and lead analyst at Display Search and DSCC revealed that OEMs like OPPO, Vivo, Google, and Xiaomi are working on foldable smartphones of their own and are set to launch their products later this year.
However, there was no evidence that companies other than Xiaomi were actually working on foldable phones until now. Recently, a patent filed by Vivo at CNIPA (Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration) surfaced on the internet.
The publication details a device with a reverse Motorola StarTAC-like design with an outward hinge at the bottom and display extending to the back panel. The sketches reveal that Vivo plans on loading the device with five cameras, including a periscope lens, in an X-pattern on a square camera bump. Instead of the traditional LED flash, the images show a strip of light at the right of the camera bump.
From camera bump to the display, the patent details a very peculiar phone, and such devices don’t usually see the light of day. However, it does make it clear that Vivo is experimenting with devices and will soon come up with something that is commercially ready.
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In other news, Xiaomi is already working on a folding smartphone of its own that will most likely break covers by the end of this year.
