Rumors were floating around earlier this month that Oppo was working on a clamshell foldable phone to compete with the Galaxy Z Flip lineup. But little did we know that Oppo had made significant progress on it. According to renowned leaker Mukul Sharma, Oppo has begun the internal testing of its first-ever clamshell flip phone in various Eurasian and European regions, with the official launch happening later this year.
Apart from the flip phone, the Chinese tech brand is also internally testing a new foldable phone, possibly the Oppo Find N 5G successor. Internal testing is happening in some regions of Europe and Eurasia. It"s also slated to release later this year, though there is not enough clarity on whether it will launch alongside the alleged flip phone.
However, internal testing of a product doesn"t guarantee its official release is near. If the company is not happy with the testing, it might delay the product to fix the persisting issues. This has happened to Google"s alleged "Pixel Fold" foldable device. Likewise, it can happen to Oppo"s upcoming clamshell foldable phone too. Whatever the case may be, the company"s flip phone may seem more attractive than Galaxy Z Flip3 as the former may be priced significantly lower than the latter.
About the pricing: Oppo"s clamshell foldable device may have a price tag of CNY 5,000, which roughly translates to $756 or €718. In China, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is priced at CNY 7,399 (~$1,119 or €1,063). A cheaper price tag may not even come at the expense of lackluster hardware. Although we don"t have all the details about what"s inside it, rumor has it that the latest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip will power the device.
Are you looking forward to the launch of Oppo"s upcoming clamshell foldable phone? Share your thoughts about it in the comments.
Source: Mukul Sharma (Twitter)