Although talking about folding mobile phones seems like a new thing to us, there was already someone who put the first one on the table in 2018. It was Royole, a Chinese company founded by Liu Zhiong in 2012.

Royole FlexPai was launched at a price of 1,388 euros as the first commercial foldable phone in history with a 7.8-inch screen that can be folded 180 degrees horizontally. According to Chinese sources, the company declared bankruptcy.

The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court ruled that Royole Display could not pay its overdue debts and that its assets were not sufficient to cover them. Under the Corporate Bankruptcy Law in China, the court decides the bankruptcy of the company.

The company has been missing for years, without launching any products, watching from the sidelines as manufacturers like Samsung, Honor and Huawei rapidly increase sales of foldable phones.

Despite the initial positive impact, the company failed to maintain buyer interest even in its own country. There were no plans to expand into other regions to expand the market.

It refused to go public in 2021, the financial situation led to minimizing the production of folding panels and the inability to pay both suppliers and workers began.

Being first does not guarantee success. Royole is the best proof of this.

Picture | Xataka

in Xataka | The dream of giant foldable mobile phones is still distant. They’re still expensive and fragile