Royole FlexPai 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: Battle of the Folds

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has received a lot of praise lately, but it’s not the only big-screen foldable in town. Royole, the company behind the first commercially launched foldable called the Royole FlexPai, is also back with a sequel device of its own, FlexPai 2. Since I have both devices on me now, I thought I could also make a comparison, even if the scope of these products they are worlds apart.

Folding philosophy

Samsung and Royole may have come up with the same idea, a tablet that folds in half to become a smaller smartphone, but they have taken opposite approaches to the idea. The screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 folds inward and closes like a book; The FlexPai 2 screen folds back, wrapping the folded device like a skin; the latter is the same idea that Huawei adopted with the Huawei Mate X and Huawei Mate XS.

Personally, I prefer the Samsung philosophy because the folding screen is protected when not in use. But there are some in the tech media who believe that Huawei’s (and by extension, Royole’s) method is the best.

The hinge

The Royole hinge looks more impressive because it folds flat, while the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s hinge still leaves a little gap. Both hinges can stay in place at various angles, but the Samsung hinge feels sturdier, without any creaking when folding and unfolding. In contrast, the hinge of the FlexPai 2 makes a sound from time to time. Samsung also placed mini brushes inside the hinge that help keep small particles like dust away, and a test video by popular YouTuber JerryRigs showed that the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s hinge successfully survived being covered in a pile of pebbles. and fine powder. The FlexPai 2 hasn’t undergone the same test yet, but I know that Royole sent it one for the same test as well, so Royole seems to be confident that its hardware can at least withstand rigorous testing.

Folding screens

This is a landslide victory for Samsung. The main screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a higher refresh rate (120Hz), more pixels (1768 x 2208), a firmer, almost glass-like texture, and a higher maximum brightness than the 60Hz, 1920 x screen. 1440, clearly plastic from the FlexPai.

But the Royole screen has fewer visible wrinkles due to its different folding method, and its slightly larger 4: 3 aspect ratio (7.8 inches) is better suited for split-screen text-heavy applications (such as, for example, Twitter and Chrome). ). Because the FlexPai 2’s screen is more rectangular in shape, when held vertically, there is plenty of room to display content even with a full keyboard at the bottom. The same configuration on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is slightly smaller due to its almost square shape. But still, the screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is simply superior technology.

Cameras

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 includes five cameras, consisting of a triple camera main system and two selfie cameras, one for each screen. The FlexPai 2 has a single four-camera module that functions as the main camera system and the selfie system.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be much easier to use for most people jumping onto a folding phone for the first time, because the camera UI and shooting style behave like any other slab Samsung phone. The FlexPai 2, however, requires you to turn the phone over to take selfies.

Regarding the quality of the photos, I think it goes without saying that the company with many more resources and years of experience in making smartphones would have a more capable camera; the question was really how much does Samsung make.

Looking at the samples, I think that the FlexPai 2’s 64MP main camera produces photos that can be classified as strong or even above average. But when placed side by side against Samsung’s 12MP main camera, Royole’s color science is duller, with less dynamic range.

At night, the gap between the two phones widens slightly.

But the FlexPai 2 wins in selfies, because it has a dedicated 32MP portrait lens that is part of the main camera module, while the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s 10MP selfie cameras are a small lens in a drilled hole. In the samples below, the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s selfie looks a bit soft compared to the FlexPai.

software

The first thing to note is that FlexPai 2 is not fully GMS compliant, mainly because it appears to be a China exclusive device at the moment. I tried to download Google Play services several times and could not get the Play Store to load properly. Interestingly, YouTube and Google Maps It works well in FlexPai 2, which implies that there is something similar to the Google services framework within the software.

This non-Google fact alone should give the Galaxy Z Fold 2 an immediate win. But let’s take a look at what each brand offers anyway. Samsung’s software for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 works quite well, and apps jump from the smallest screen to the largest screen without a hitch most of the time. Widescreen formatting was even added to the larger screen for apps that need to be rectangular in shape (like Instagram), so it doesn’t have any of the formatting issues of the Fold 1.

FlexPai 2’s user interface, called WaterOS, is surprisingly smooth. The user interface changes from a smaller smartphone shape to a larger tablet shape without much delay or hiccups, and most apps load well too, although some apps like Instagram need to load in portrait orientation on the FlexPai. two.

Both phones handle multitasking similarly, with a drop-down menu allowing you to launch a second app in splitscreen mode right away and the option of a third. Samsung’s One UI for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 allows you to open a fourth (or fifth or sixth) application, but they must be in floating window mode; the FlexPai 2 maxes out a trio of applications at a time.

General use as a real world device

Since FlexPai 2 can’t run many Google apps, it’s easy to dismiss the device as unusable. But I was forced to use non-Google phones quite a bit last year (the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, Huawei P40 Pro, Huawe Mate XS) and I realized that, for me, not having central GMS is a hassle, but not a factor. decisive. Gmail and Google Calendar can be synced with a third party client like Microsoft Outlook, and other key apps that I must use like WhatsApp, WeChat, Slack, Instagram, Twitter, all work on non-GMS devices.

Also, unlike Huawei, Royole’s lack of GMS appears to be a choice, not a mandate from the US government. This means that if Royole wants to sell this outside of China, it should be able to install Google apps there without a problem. . Its drawback is in the decision and choice, and not in an inherent limitation.

But having said all that, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is still a lot easier to use. It is shaped like a chocolate bar (or remote control) when folded, making it a very easy device to use with one hand. Meanwhile, the FlexPai 2 is wide even when folded, making for a bit of reach. I’m also nervous about having the flexible plastic screen exposed at all times. Then add the best camera and the brightest screen, it’s another lopsided affair in favor of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Royole FlexPai 2 pursue different goals

To be honest, I knew when writing this article that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 was going to win most of the categories, some also overwhelmingly. But it’s worth mentioning that these two phones have different goals and ambitions. Samsung is the world’s largest phone brand by units sold, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 aims to be a mainstream product sold around the world. Royole is a stranger on the mobile scene, and the FlexPai 2 is so far only sold in China, and is intended to be a showcase for the company’s display technology rather than an attempt at being a mainstream phone.

When you consider the scale of the two companies and the scope of these projects, it’s almost a David vs. Goliath showdown, and I think that despite falling short, Royole put on a good show.