Vivo is reportedly next in line to debut a Galaxy Z Flip 4 competitor

Ben Schoon | Mar 27 2023 - 8:22 am PT

The foldable market is set to see some major expansion in 2023, including the arrival of more devices that adopt the “clamshell” form factor. Apparently, Vivo could be next in line to show off its take on the most popular foldable to date, Galaxy Z Flip 4 from Samsung.

Foldable smartphones have thus far been available in two form factors. There’s the “book” style devices popularized by the Galaxy Z Fold series, and since also adopted by Oppo, Honor, Xiaomi, Vivo, and many others. That style sees a smaller outer display expand into a much larger, tablet-like display when the device is unfolded.

But far more popular so far in terms of units sold is the “clamshell,” or flip phone design. Samsung has been the only major player in this space, with its Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Flip 4 being top sellers in the foldable market as a whole. This style of foldable usually has a very small outer display for notifications and widgets, but a full-size smartphone display inside. The idea is to offer a large display without sacrificing portability.

According to SnoopyTech, Vivo is working on its own version of the Galaxy Z Flip called the “Vivo X Flip.” There’s not much known about the upcoming device, but it carries the model number V2256A and was recently certified by Google Play, implying a launch that’s not too far away.

Vivo falls under the same corporate umbrella as Oppo, so it’s likely that this device would share some aspects in common with the Oppo Find N2 Flip which launched earlier this year. Vivo has already launched its first foldable smartphones in the Vivo X Fold and Fold+, and is expected to launch the Vivo X Fold 2 soon as well. However, releases so far have been limited to China.