News-World's first FOLDABLE smartphone is here - and it's not by LG or Samsung

It’s something that both Samsung and LG have been hoping to launch - but now both firms have been pipped to the post in the foldable smartphone race.

Royole Corporation has unveiled the world’s first commercial foldable smartphone, dubbed the Royole FlexPai.

The device can either be used folded or unfolded, giving users the choice of a smartphone or tablet experience.

Dr Bill Liu, CEO of Royole, said: “The Royole FlexPai foldable smartphone provides mobile phone users with a revolutionary, different experience compared to traditional phones.

“It perfectly solves the contradiction between the high-definition large-screen experience and portability, which introduces a whole new dimension to the human-machine interface.

“The phone’s inherent design will forever change the consumer electronics industry, as well as the way people interact with and perceive their world.”

The screen is one complete, full flexible display that can be folded at different angles depending on the scenario - whether it’s taking photos, watching videos or gaming.

In terms of cameras, the smartphone features a 20MP telephoto lens, as well as a 16MP wide-angle lens, which can be used to take normal photos or selfies depending on how the phone is folded.

Other impressive features include a fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, expandable storage with MicroSD, and USB-C charging.

While you might think that a flexible screen would be weak, during testing, Royole proved that this wasn’t the case.

The FlexPai was put to the test with 200,000 bends, and easily coped.

And although the FlexPai isn’t exactly cheap, it’s not as expensive as you might expect.

The 128GB model costs £1,209, while the 256GB model is priced at £1,349.