The world's lightest Fold is here, and it claims to work with your Apple Watch too
TL;DR Vivo has launched the X Fold 5 foldable phone in China.
This is the world's lightest book-style foldable phone, but it still has a 6,000mAh battery and IP5X/IPX8/IPX9 ratings.
The vivo X Fold 5 starts at ~$976 in China.
Samsung will launch the Galaxy Z Fold 7 next month, but several rival manufacturers are waiting in the wings already. Now, vivo has launched the X Fold 5 foldable phone in China today.
The X Fold 5 is a follow-up to last year's X Fold 3, which, at 219 grams, was the world's lightest book-style foldable phone. However, the X Fold 5 just about steals this crown by weighing in at 217 grams. The phone is a relatively svelte 9.2mm thick when folded. That means the OPPO Find N5 is still the thinnest book-style foldable on the market.
However, vivo's new device also brings IP5X dust resistance, IPX8 water resistance, and an IPX9 rating for resistance to high-pressure water jets and hot water. This might be the first foldable phone to offer both dust- and water-resistance in the same package. By contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has an IP48 rating, which means it can survive a dunk in water but isn't rated to withstand dust.
vivo
Despite the lightweight design, the vivo X Fold 5 packs a 6,000mAh battery into its frame. Vivo claims this is the first foldable phone with a 6,000mAh battery, putting it on par with conventional phones like the OnePlus 13 and vivo X200 Pro. Once you've run out of juice, you can use 80W wired or 40W wireless charging.
The phone also has an 8.03-inch OLED folding screen (2,480 x 2,200, LTPO), a 6.53-inch OLED cover screen (2,748 × 1,172, LTPO), and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. Other notable hardware specs include a side fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, and an IR blaster. That chip isn't the latest and greatest Snapdragon silicon, but it should still be more than enough for demanding tasks.
As for camera hardware, the new foldable phone offers a triple rear camera setup. This consists of a 50MP main camera (IMX921), a 50MP ultrawide lens (1/2.76-inch), and a 50MP 3x camera (IMX882, macro support). A 20MP camera is also found on each screen for selfies and video chats.
The X Fold 5 runs Origin OS 15 based on Android 15. This software includes a rather cool multitasking system with up to five apps running at once. One main app covers most of the screen while four smaller app windows appear above the main app window. However, vivo also offers groundbreaking integration with Apple devices.
For starters, the company says it's the first Android phone that can connect to the Apple Watch, supporting phone calls, texts, notification mirroring, synchronization of health/fitness data, and more. However, there are a couple of caveats to this integration. Your Apple Watch needs to be paired with an iPhone first. Furthermore, vivo says this functionality will come via a system update.
The X Fold 5 also supports 'seamless' connectivity with Apple's AirPods and deep integration with Macs (such as using the foldable as an extended screen). The device can also pair with your iPhone, so all your calls, texts, and notifications from your iPhone are accessible via the foldable. Almost all of these features will likely require an app download. The company currently requires Mac users to download the vivo Office Kit app for Mac integration on existing OriginOS phones. Nevertheless, vivo was first to offer Mac integration on Android, so we're keen to see how this expanded Apple integration pans out.
The vivo X Fold 5 seems to be a China-only release right now. Expect to pay 6,999 yuan (~$976) for the 12GB/256GB model, all the way to 9,499 yuan (~$1,325) for the 16GB/1TB model. In any event, rumors point to the phone launching in India. So our fingers are crossed for a wider release.
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