Serial leaker Digital Chat Station has today on Weibo claimed that Vivo (styled “vivo”), will be the first mobile device maker to release a folding smartphone rocking the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. The chipset is currently the top dog in the industry when it comes to performance and has already been featured in conventional high-end smartphones including the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, Xiaomi 13 series and the OnePlus 11.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 offers considerably more power compared to its predecessor, especially those developed by Samsung early on in their lifespan before TSMC took over in developing the refreshed Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. This is in addition to the chip being more efficient, which translates to a longer battery life. It is also responsible for satellite connectivity on (Android) smartphones at the moment.
However, the chipset has not made an appearance in any folding smartphone yet, and given Digital Chat Station‘s impressive track record of having inside scoops, it is extremely likely that the vivo X Fold 2 will have the honour of being first.
At the time of publication, vivo has not yet put out a release date for the device. However, taking into consideration the first X Fold was released in April 2022, it is fair to expect a release around the same time this year.
Samsung, which is the market leader in this space, typically launches its foldables in the third quarter of the year, opening up an opportunity for other players to get their devices out earlier in the year.
Other specifications spelt out by the leaker include the vivo X Fold 2 having a 4,800 mAh battery and 120 W wired fast charging which will be considerably bigger and faster than what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has, which is considered the best foldable at the moment at 4,400 mAh and 25 W respectively.
Since the vivo X Fold was only released in China, it will be interesting to see whether they release the new model to the Global market, especially given that foldables are becoming increasingly adopted by users worldwide.
