What you need to know
- Vivo launches its first clamshell foldable phone, the Vivo X Flip.
- The device is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC and comes with a large external display and ZEISS optics.
- Vivo has also launched the new X Fold 2 powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
After bringing its first foldable smartphone last year, Vivo is back with the next iteration. The company today launched the Vivo X Fold 2 next to the new entrant, the Vivo X Flip. It's Vivo's first attempt at bringing the clamshell device to the foldable market, a growing form factor popularized by devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
The Vivo X Flip is a great-looking device. The cover display measures 3 inches, larger than the one we have seen on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and a bit shorter than the OPPO Find N2 Flip, which measures 3.2 inches. The outer screen is the key differentiator, which sits above the circular camera island when the phone is closed.
The outer screen has a 14.5:9 aspect ratio and 682 x 422 resolution. It is an AMOLED panel without any fancy refresh rates, but it does have a cute interactive cat character to react to alarms and notification alerts. On the other hand, the inner screen is a significantly taller screen measuring 6.74 inches with a 120Hz refresh rate. The exterior design on the X Flip comes with a unique pattern design aesthetic for purple and gold colorways. The black variant comes with a traditional textured finish.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC powers the Vivo X Flip, the same chip featured in last year's Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 and most other recent foldable phones. It is accompanied by up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. The device runs on a 4400mAh battery and supports Vivo's 44W flash charge support.
The Vivo X Flip ships with Vivo's OriginOS 3, based on Android 13. The device relies on a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that simultaneously acts as the power button for authentication.
Dual ZEISS-powered rear cameras sport a 50MP primary sensor and a 12MP wide-angle lens. For video, the rear cameras support up to 4K video recording. The inner screen is a punch-hole display that carries a 32MP sensor for selfies.
Vivo X Fold 2
The Vivo X Fold 2, on the other hand, comes as the successor to the X Fold from last year. It is an incremental update from the previous model, as it comes with the exact display sizes for both screens. The inner screen measures 8.03 inches, and the outer has a 6.53 inches display. Both displays support 120Hz refresh rates.
Underneath, The Vivo X Fold 2 equips the latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 paired with up to 12GB of RAM (LPDDR5X) and 512GB onboard UFS 4.0 storage. Keeping the lights on for both screens is a decent 4800mAh battery, which supports 120W wired and 50W wireless charging.
The cameras continue to carry ZEISS optics and sport a 50MP primary sensor aided by a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens and another 12MP telephoto sensor. There are two other 16MP sensors on each screen (both inside and outside) to capture selfies.
Like the X Flip, the Vivo X Fold 2 also ships with Android 13-based OriginOS 3 out of the box. The device features faster connectivity options such as Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3. For authentication, the foldable device equips a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
As foldables gain more mainstream support, it is good to see more vendors bringing both form factors, allowing users to choose between the larger, more expensive models and the smaller, cheaper, and more compact foldables.
The Vivo X Fold 2 and the Vivo X Flip 2 are currently up for presale in China. There is no word on the global availability of these devices for now.
The Vivo X Flip is priced at CNY 5999 for the 12GB+256GB model, and the larger 12GB+512GB retails at CNY 6699. Meanwhile, the X Fold 2 starts at CNY 8999 for the 12GB/256GB variant and CNY 9999 for the 12GB/512GB variant. The X Fold 2 comes in three colorways: Black, Blue, and China Red.
