The First Foldable Phone Is Now a Foldable Memory
Before Samsung, Motorola, or even Google made foldables cool, a scrappy underdog named Royole Technologies was already in the game, showing off its futuristic tech. Back in 2018, this little-known Chinese company dropped the Royole FlexPai—the world’s first commercially available foldable smartphone—into a market that wasn’t ready for it. But instead of claiming its rightful place as the foldable king, Royole’s story folded faster than its screens.
Here’s the kicker: despite being first to the finish line, Royole just declared bankruptcy. A recent report from IT Home (via Digitimes Asia) revealed that after an asset investigation, the Shenzhen Municipal Intermediate People’s Court ruled the company couldn’t clear its debts. Translation? Royole couldn’t pay the bills, and its assets weren’t enough to dig it out of the financial hole.
A Peek Into Royole’s History
Royole wasn’t just another tech company. Founded in 2012, it poured everything into foldable display tech. The Royole FlexPai was a trailblazer, featuring a 7.8-inch AMOLED display that folded outward. Yep, that’s right—outward. Unlike today’s slick foldables with hidden hinges, the FlexPai came with chunky bezels and a camera bulge that screamed “prototype energy.”
And Royole didn’t stop at phones. It claimed a buffet of firsts, including the world’s thinnest full-color flexible display, a curved car dashboard based on flexible electronics, and even a smart writing pad with flexible sensors. Oh, and let’s not forget its 2019 collab with Louis Vuitton—because who wouldn’t want a handbag with a built-in display to show off cat videos?
The Sad Fold-Up
Despite its groundbreaking innovations, Royole couldn’t make the numbers work. Its investments in next-gen tech didn’t translate into sustainable revenue, leaving it in financial ruin. Now, its assets are set to be liquidated, marking the end of a company that dared to dream big but couldn’t survive in a market dominated by the heavyweights.
Royole’s story is a reminder that being first doesn’t always mean being best. And sometimes, even in tech, timing is everything.
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