OnePlus CEO Calls Foldable Phones ‘Immature’; Dodging Galaxy Fold, Mate X Competition

While big name smartphone companies such as Samsung, Huawei and Motorola are in a race to release the first-ever successful foldable smartphone, another smartphone giant has decided to stay away from it for lack of a clear use case.

During the recent launch of the OnePlus 7T Pro in London, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said his company has deliberately chosen to stay away from the foldable smartphone race because there's no real use for foldable devices yet, and that the technology is still immature, The Indian Express reported. The company, Lau said, will focus on other things instead.

“The technology and the ability to have foldable screens are not very mature yet,” the OnePlus CEO told the reporter his company invited.

Instead of working on a foldable smartphone which, according to Lau, doesn't have any clear value to consumers just yet, OnePlus will focus on other relevant technologies. One of these is 5G connectivity.

Lau said his company is looking for ways to bring its 5G devices to as many locations as possible. He said OnePlus is looking at adding 5G connectivity to more devices, even those that aren't included in the company's “Pro” and “T” series devices.

He added that while the tech company was able to launch the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G in different countries, it is still looking for ways to bring 5G to other locations. He explained that the company's ability to launch 5G-capable handsets will depend on the circumstances, such as the availability of 5G in certain countries.

“In India, for example, there may not be 5G availability next year as a whole and we’ll have to see how things progress,” Lau said, as per MSPowerUser. “So again, this has to go back to looking at the suitability for products in different regions.”

As of now, Lau said OnePlus is focusing on developing 90Hz display technologies, such as those that are used on its TVs. He said that OnePlus normally spends a year developing its products. The company, however, spent two years working on the 90Hz display before actually releasing a product that uses it.

As for foldable devices, Lau said OnePlus really is staying away, at least for now. Thus, it appears that Samsung, Huawei and Motorola will be the only ones in the foldables race at the moment – until LG, Sony and Apple decide to join in as well.