Looking at the mobile phone market, the mobile phone forms in recent years are no longer as strange as in the early years. Full screen seems to have become a pattern. The mobile phone market is like a big eye staring at a small eye, not a hole you dug. Bigger than me means that my screen-to-body ratio is higher than yours. Although there were also true full-screen mobile phones with pop-up cameras during this period, they eventually disappeared and were just a flash in the pan. After all, they were not accepted by the market for various reasons and became "history" rather than mainstream. However, among them, the uniqueness of folding screens is something everyone has witnessed.
Since Royole Technology was the first in the world to release the industry's thinnest flexible display with a thickness of only 0.01 mm in 2014, the concept of folding screens has officially become a possibility in the form of mobile phones. With the continuous efforts of major manufacturers over the years, the technology of foldable screen mobile phones has become more and more mature, becoming an "outlier" among today's trends and being sought after by many business people. Although some people always criticize it for being a tablet but not a tablet, and a mobile phone but not a mobile phone, in my opinion, the fact that foldable screen mobile phones have not declined fully illustrates their potential market and future possibilities. Today, the author will take the four most common full-screen mobile phones on the market and talk to you about which mainstream flexible screen mobile phone is better.
As a sequel that continues the spirit of MIX, the launch of Xiaomi MIX FOLD is accompanied by a halo, and many rice fans are full of expectations for it. The starting price of 9,999 yuan is not cheap, but it is acceptable among folding screen mobile phones. As a new phone released in March this year, the configuration of Xiaomi MIX FOLD can be called luxurious, with a 2K resolution internal screen, top-level configuration of Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+LDPPR5+UFS3.1, coupled with 67W wired fast charging and a maximum charging Choose 16GB of storage, and it will look like a classic bucket machine.
Unfortunately, although it seems to have luxurious configurations, Xiaomi MIX FOLD has shrunk in many aspects and has been questioned by many rice fans. For example, the internal screen only has a 60Hz refresh rate, and the Type-C interface is also Only USB 2.0 and so on are real disadvantages. Although it is equipped with its self-developed Pengpai C1 chip and liquid lens, if the gold content of this self-developed chip is compared with the Kirin chip, it is really far behind, so there are many rice fans who do not buy it.
Motorola launched the moto razr Blade 5G mobile phone last year, which paid tribute to the classic Blade V3 of that year and felt like returning to the era of flip phones. As a vertically foldable mobile phone, the moto razr blade is favored by many people for its compactness and lightness, and its classic appearance also makes many people call it "Ye Qing Hui".
In terms of configuration, the moto razr blade is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip, equipped with a 6.2-inch 2142876 screen, a 2.7-inch external screen, a rear fingerprint scanner and its logo integrated into one, and supports 15W With fast charging and a 2800mAh battery, the overall parameters are not very good in this era of "parameters are king", and can even be described as poor. However, the self-developed star-shaped hinge technology used by it prevents the screen from creases, which has attracted the attention of many peers. It can be said to be the most selling point of the entire phone. The price of 12,499 yuan from the Bank of China is really impressive. It is a work of emotion.
Samsung is the most well-known manufacturer of folding screen mobile phones. Its early test product Galaxy Z Fold is well known to the world because "this is my exclusive moment". Due to technical limitations, its After being used for a period of time, obvious creases will appear at the folded area, so most of the time it can only be used up, which is not very practical. As a second-generation product, Galaxy Z Fold2 is undoubtedly more practical. At least Samsung has solved the problem of obvious creases and can only be clearly perceived at specific angles when opening and closing.
In terms of configuration, as last year’s product, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is equipped with Qualcomm 865+ processor, supports up to 12GB+512GB storage, rear 1200-pixel triple camera module, and 25W fast charge. Its internal screen supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and uses side fingerprint recognition.
In general, the parameters are very luxurious. Charging speed is a consistent problem of Samsung, and consumers who choose Samsung will not care about it. Its new hinge technology allows the opening and closing angle to be adjusted at will, and is also more durable. In general, it has not lost the level that Samsung should have.
As the originator of foldable screen mobile phones, Royole’s lack of market for its mobile phones has a lot to do with its focus on scientific research. On October 31, 2018, Royole released the world's first foldable screen mobile phone - Roupai, which won many valuable awards at home and abroad in one fell swoop. It can be said to be a dark horse that emerged halfway. Royole FlexPai 2, as an upgraded product, has been upgraded in many aspects. It is understood that Royole FlexPai 2 uses Royole’s third-generation Cicada fully flexible screen, and the thickness of the body is nearly 40% thinner than the previous generation. After testing by the Chinese Academy of Metrology, it was found that this screen can withstand 1.8 million repeated bends from 0 to 180 degrees without causing damage or creases. This is difficult for the majority of people to accept bending. For consumers with scars, it can be said to be good news. It is understood that this Cicada Wing fully flexible screen can also achieve a bending radius of only 1mm. In addition, no matter how many times it is folded, it remains as flat as new. The wind blows from east to west, from north to south."
In terms of hinge design, Royole FlexPai 2 uses a new 3S fully closed linear axis. This technology can achieve random hovering when folded. Whether it is 0 or 180, you can easily choose it. . In terms of material selection, the core part of the hinge is made of aviation-grade aluminum-titanium alloy and liquid metal. As metals known for their thinness and wear resistance, the aviation-grade configuration is trustworthy.
In terms of configuration, although Royole FlexPai 2 was released last year, its hardware is not out of date. Snapdragon 865 processor, LPDDR5+UFS3.0 combination, 7.8-inch 2K screen with 1920x1440 resolution, supports dual-mode 5G, WiFi6 and other technologies, and the 4450mAh battery can be considered extremely sufficient now. The rear four-camera combination of 64-megapixel main camera + 32-megapixel portrait + 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle + 8-megapixel telephoto is also extremely capable. Even in today's world of camera gods, it can still rank high. .
Although everyone wants to be the true mobile phone king among Android phones, folding screen mobile phones, as a relatively special branch of mobile phone form, have a small number of products and audiences, making them unable to compete with the mobile phone king at this stage. . Having said that, most folding screen mobile phones have the potential to become the king of mobile phones, whether it is price, configuration, or screen size. It can be found that the excessively high selling price has made folding screen mobile phones a toy in the hands of a small number of people, rather than a product that leads the advancement of mobile phone forms. In the author's opinion, only when foldable screen mobile phones are cost-effective and the price is lowered can they be popularized by all people and have the potential to shine. Among the above-mentioned folding screen mobile phones, Royole FlexPai2 has taken the title of cost-effectiveness from Xiaomi with its price of 5,999 yuan, becoming a flagship folding screen mobile phone that even the public can afford.
Looking at the price alone, it may not be possible to get a full picture of Royole FlexPai 2’s extremely cost-effective performance. The author would like to make a judgment from multiple perspectives such as hardware parameters, software adaptation, and technical content.
First, let’s talk about the screen. To talk about the original intention of folding screen mobile phones, I think it can be summed up in one sentence: "putting a tablet in your pocket". The emergence of folding screen technology made it possible to combine the two concepts of portability and large screen, and folding screen mobile phones emerged as the times require.
Among the four mobile phones mentioned above, Xiaomi MIX FOLD takes the lead with its 8.01-inch unfolded screen size. In terms of format design, both Royole FlexPai 2 and Xiaomi MIX FOLD adopt a 4:3 wide format design. The screen resolution of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is not a typical value, and it will be wider than 4:3 when converted. As a vertical folding screen mobile phone, the moto razr adopts a 21:9 ultra-widescreen design. However, the too-wide screen will limit the viewing of certain videos, leaving a certain amount of black borders on both sides, and the look and feel is not special. good. Among the four mobile phones mentioned above, the Moto Razr Blade is a vertical folding screen mobile phone, so it is difficult to compete with several other mobile phones.
Xiaomi MIX FOLD and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 both use an inward folding method, so they are also equipped with an additional secondary screen. The folding design of Royole FlexPai 2 can divide the main screen into two secondary screens of 5.5 inches and 5.4 inches after folding. The overall use experience will be relatively better.
In terms of other configurations, Xiaomi MIX FOLD, as this year’s new phone, has overwhelming advantages. If we only look at the parameters on paper, Xiaomi MIX FOLD ranks first, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 second, Royole FlexPai 2 third, and moto razr blade ranks last. However, in terms of details, the power consumption problem of Snapdragon 888 will become a burden for Xiaomi MIX FOLD. Although Xiaomi has made special optimizations for this, the power consumption of the 8.01-inch screen is not a vegetarian. In terms of battery life, although it has a 5020mAh A large battery can be used to fill it up, but the actual experience should not be very good. Although Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 and Royole FlexPai 2 suffer some disadvantages in terms of hardware, the two processors Snapdragon 865+ and Snapdragon 865 have no shortcomings. As the second-largest Snapdragon 870 in the Snapdragon family, daily use is not a problem. As for the Snapdragon 765G of the moto razr blade, needless to say, although it is not bad, the gap between it and the flagship SOC is still obvious. In terms of paper parameters, Xiaomi MIX FOLD ranks in the first echelon, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 and Royole FlexPai 2 rank in the second echelon, and moto razr blade ranks in the third echelon.
Then, let’s talk about software adaptation. Although they are both mobile phones, after the screen size has been greatly upgraded, the ecology of folding screens is already moving closer to tablets. Not only that, switching when folded also makes its software adaptation needs different from ordinary mobile phones, and it must be able to support seamless connection and same-screen display between multiple software.
In this regard, Xiaomi MIX FOLD stated at the press conference that it will support multiple experiences such as handheld PC mode, drag and drop function, parallel vision, etc. However, judging from actual testing, these functions have not been officially adapted. , and in the video playback process, whether it is the internal screen or the external screen, Xiaomi MIX FOLD only simply stretches the video screen, and does not fully adapt, and the actual experience is not satisfactory. Not only that, compared to Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, Xiaomi MIX FOLD does not have a camera on the main screen. This means that when we need to take selfies or video chat, we can only fold the phone and use the secondary screen. Only then can it be realized, which is extremely troublesome.
In this link, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 and Royole FlexPai 2 gave good answers. Among them, both the internal and external screens of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 support APP split screen. The external screen supports 2 windows running independently, and the internal screen supports 3 windows running simultaneously. Not only that, we can also store the split-screen mode in the sidebar, and drag and drop text or files between applications running at the same time for cross-application transfer. The overall adaptation experience is good. Since both the internal and external screens of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 use punch-hole screens, there is no embarrassing situation like Xiaomi MIX FOLD where you need to fold the phone to take selfies.
Royole FlexPai 2 uses waterOS 2.0, which has undergone major changes and upgrades compared to the previous system. It has added the screen wake-up function of touching the sensing area twice and the smart split-screen function, and supports simultaneous operation of up to three screens, which allows users with business needs to achieve office work, review information, and Video calls and other operations can be performed at the same time, saving a lot of trouble. It can be said to be a useful office tool for business people. In terms of taking pictures, due to the folding design, Royole FlexPai 2 can use the camera as both a front and rear camera. In the folded state, it can also take mirror pictures, which is very cool. In terms of software, Royole FlexPai 2 can adapt to screens in different folding forms, and can convert between different ratios such as 4:3, 16:9, 18:9, etc. It also provides users with smart sidebars. Intimate functions such as smart touch allow you to easily control it whether you use your left or right hand, large or small screen.
As for the moto razr blade, due to its longitudinal folding design, it is not much different from most mobile phones. The author believes that it does not require software adaptation, so it is not included in the comparison.
Finally, let’s talk about technology. It is said that innovation is the primary productive force. For mobile phones, technology means competitiveness. Taking hinge technology as an example, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 and Xiaomi MIX FOLD belong to the same category. Although they both use newer technology and better materials, these two folding screen phones still cannot get rid of the wrinkles caused by them. Unfortunately, both will have noticeable creases after use. In this aspect, both Royole FlexPai 2 and moto razr blades adopt self-developed technology, which solves the problem of creases. Although it cannot be said that it does not exist at all, it is difficult to detect in terms of daily use experience.
From the above three points, it is hard to say which of these four mobile phones will win. Among them, Xiaomi MIX FOLD is strong in its configuration and price of 9,999 yuan. However, the lack of experience in making a folding screen for the first time makes this phone look like a semi-finished product in terms of software, so the user experience is not good. As the second-generation product, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 has been comprehensively upgraded on the basis of the previous generation. It has also done a good job in system adaptation. Unfortunately, there is no key breakthrough in technology, and the common crease problem still exists. , and the higher selling price prohibits most people. The Moto Razr is the most distinctive among these four mobile phones. Its vertically folding screen and nearly crease-free technology are eye-catching. Unfortunately, the configuration is too high, the price is too high, and the retro style is doomed. Its audience is not broad. Royole FlexPai 2 is the big brother of flexible screen technology. It is reasonable to realize nearly crease-free folding screen technology, but its over 1.8 million folding times is unexpected. Although the configuration is not top-notch, it is extremely useful. The excellent software adaptation makes it no less than Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, and the most important point is that this phone is priced at 8,788 yuan, which is currently on sale. The most cost-effective among folding screen phones.
In general, folding screen mobile phones are destined to become a "must battleground for military strategists." As an expert who has been immersed in the flexible screen market for many years, Royole's technological leadership is unquestionable. This is also the confidence and advantage that Royole can always maintain. As far as Royole’s FlexPai 2 folding screen mobile phone is concerned, Royole not only has hard power, but its soft power is also beyond doubt. The good software adaptability and expanded functions of waterOS make the entire full-screen mobile phone experience extremely smooth. This makes the author can’t help but look forward to what kind of earth-shattering work Royole’s next mobile phone will be?