Back in February, we got to see several folding
phones and among Samsung and Huawei’s flaghips, a less prominent foldable
prototype was showcased by Oppo. With Samsung’s Galaxy Fold being delayed and
no word on Huawei’s Mate X it seems like foldable phones took another setback,
but they are undoubtedly a question of when rather than if.
Back in October 2018, Oppo filled a patent for its
own foldable phone with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and the
very same patent was published recently. Alongside a brief overview of the
device we are treated to several design sketches and full color renders. The biggest
novelty of the foldable phone seems to be its pop-up camera which allows for a
more uniform design without obtrusive bezels. This approach would allow you to
take photos in both folded and unfolded forms.
Oppo’s approach seems to be in line with that of its
prototype device as the screen folds outwards. The hinge of the phone provides
a rigid support and the renders also reveal the presence of a 3.5mm headphone
jack. As this is only a patent, we do not have any specs and given the
pessimistic view of Oppo’s VP Brian Shen on the benefit of foldable phones we
probably won’t see the device in its final version any time soon.
