Oppo's working on a Galaxy Z Flip competitor

It was about time that a new device joined the foldable clamshell party, attended only by Samsung and Motorola. Rumor has it that the Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr will be joined by a foldable phone made by Oppo.

The information comes from the Chinese tipster Machine Arsen on Weibo who claims that Oppo is working on a phone that's supposed to appeal to the female part of the foldable smartphone market.

The phone is said to measure around 2-inches when closed (whether that's the display or entire body is unclear) and 7-inches when unfolded. In its open form it would be one of the biggest foldable clamshell phones to date, but in its folded form it could be one of the best small and compact phones of 2021. 

Speaking of displays, the phone is rumored to feature an LTPO screen with a high-refresh-rate screen. A few months ago, LetsGoDigital reported that OPPO had filed a patent for a hinge with rotating gears, and now we see why. The hinge is expected to let the phone unfold at various angles, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Fold 2.

Both Samsung and Motorola are expected to refresh their existing foldables soon too. Samsung is said to reveal the next Z Flip 3 this summer. We don't have any rumored date for Motorola's launch, but given that the current Razr was announced in September, we expect this year's offer to be released around the same time.

Motorola's foldables usually pack mid-range specs, while Samsung's Z Flip is closer to a flagship. It'll be interesting to see what direction Oppo's decides to take.

One thing that all foldables have in common is the higher prices they come at. Therefore, we don't expect Oppo's phone to be a cheap phone. However, Xiaomi's recent Mi Mix Fold broke the mold by bringing its price much closer to a regular flagship at around $1500, unlike competitors like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Mate X2, which were priced significantly higher at launch.