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A little-known Chinese tech company beat South Korean giant Samsung to launch the world's first folding phone – and early critics suggest it really works.
Samsung may be just a few hours before unveiling its folding Galaxy X to the world, but the Royale Corporation launched its FlexPai phone to reporters on Monday.
The Verge and Mashable were among those who had the chance to use the device at an event in San Francisco. Both confirmed that the folding technology was working, halving the size of the 7.8-inch plastic screen in a single 180-degree rotation.
Read more: Samsung's long-awaited foldable phone is 'not far' – here are 8 things to expect from Galaxy X
As an engineering feat, critics were impressed. "Yes, it's a little gimmicky, but the FlexPai actually holds its promise of being the" first collapsible smartphone, "said Karissa Bell of Mashable.
But, the FlexPai is far from perfect.
The device does not fold flat and is quite difficult to hold, according to Bell. She added that the plastic screen was starting to rise a little above the hinges and was producing an "audible crackling sound" when folding. Royale told him that these problems were known because of "the adhesive used in the engineering samples".
Nick Statt of The Verge said that once folded, it is "bulky" and offers "unparalleled quality" from a high-end smartphone. The software, a bespoke version of Android 9.0, is "extremely slow" and buggy, he added. "This device is really a first generation product," concluded The Verge.
You can watch Royale's demonstration video for FlexPai here:
The foldable phone will go on sale as a consumer device in China, but for now, it's only available as a model for the US developer from of December. The developer edition costs $ 1,318 for 128 GB of storage and $ 1,469 for 256 GB, according to Mashable.
Royale introduced the FlexPai the week before Samsung unveiled the long-awaited Galaxy X. The company has confirmed the launch, or at least a focus, of the product at its annual developer conference, which begins Wednesday in San Francisco.
A modified Samsung logo has been posted on the company's Facebook page. It is folded on itself, potentially announcing a Galaxy X announcement this week.
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