Vivo is putting the final touches to its latest foldable smartphone, which it’s ready to reveal this month.
We gather up all the news and leaks so far surrounding the Vivo X Fold 2.
When will the Vivo X Fold 2 be released?
Vivo has confirmed that it will launch the X Fold 2 in China on 20 April alongside the Vivo X Flip and Vivo Pad 2.
That’s in keeping with the first model, the Vivo X Fold, which debuted in April 2022. One concern for western markets is that the X Fold was a China-exclusive model, meaning it didn’t get an official global launch. You could still pick it up on import, but that’s always a bit daunting and expensive.
We don’t know if this will be the case with the Vivo X Fold 2, but we hope that this time around the company opens the product up to a wider fanbase.
How much will the Vivo X Fold 2 cost?
There are no solid facts regarding the potential cost of the Vivo X Fold 2 when it arrives. Looking at the previous generation we see the following pricing:
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: ¥8,999 (around $1,400/£1,100/€1,300)
- 12GB RAM + 512GB storage: ¥9,999 (around $1,550/£1,200/€1,450)
With costs climbing for seemingly everything at the moment, technology included, it’s possible that these already high prices might creep even further. But, it could be that Vivo holds the line so that people can actually buy the new Fold rather than pressing their faces up against the shop windows in Shanghai.
What about the Vivo X Fold 2 specs and features?
The one thing we know officially about the X Fold 2 is what it looks like, as Vivo has released plenty of photos of the phone in action, with a design that doesn’t stray too far from previous generations:
As for specs, there we’re into speculation. The usually reliable Chinese tech reporter Digital Chat Station hasposted that Vivo will utilise a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which would make it the first time this processor appears in a foldable smartphone. The Vivo X Fold came with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, so the move to the second generation chip seems very likely.
91Mobiles also reports that the processor will be joined by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which would make it that same as the original Vivo X Fold, presumably with a 12GB/512GB variant to maintain parity.
That’s exactly what we’ve seen in a phone with the model number PD2266 that’s appeared on benchmark AnTuTu. The Vivo phone, believed to be the X Fold 2, features the 8 Gen 2, 12GB RAM, and 512GB storage, and runs Android 13. It picked up an impressive combined score of 1,318,092.
While the first generation X Fold sported an 8.03-inch LTPO AMOLED main display, running at 2160 x 1916 and 120Hz, Digital Chat Station states that this will be upgraded to a 2K panel in the new model. There will also be improvements to the battery, moving from the 4,600mAh cell in the X Fold that charged at a maximum of 66W, to a slightly larger 4,800mAh hour cell with a much faster 120W top speed.
So far, there’s been little word on the kind of cameras we might see in the Vivo X Fold 2, although GizmoChina reports that we’ll find a 50Mp main camera that uses Sony’s IMX866 sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), one that’s already appeared on several Vivo devices. This will reportedly be flanked by 12Mp ultrawide and telephoto cameras, powered by Sony IMX663 sensors.
This marks a departure from the original Vivo X Fold, as that had a quad camera array on the rear, made up of a 50Mp f/1.8 main camera with a Samsung GN5 sensor and OIS, plus a 12Mp, f/2.4 2x zoom camera; an 8Mp 5x periscope zoom camera; and a 48Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide camera.
We’re guessing that the report just missed out on the ultrawide camera and had confused the telephoto and zoom cameras, but we’ll be interested to see if this is the case, as the cameras were one of the strongest features on the X Fold.
That’s all we know on the new model at the time of writing, but we’ll be updating this article as we find out more.
Until then, do take a look at our guides to the best Android phones and best phones coming in 2023 to see whether you should wait for the Vivo X Fold 2 or take the plunge today.
