Beautiful, fashionable, high-end...

These are the common impressions people have of small foldable screen phones today.

In the four years since the advent of small foldable screens, from their early bulky and fragile state to today's lightness and convenience, they have become a mature race track.

For manufacturers, however, this has been an endless journey of internal competition. Unlike the "big and bold" large foldables, it seems increasingly difficult to create a big impact with the small screens of small foldables. While manufacturers are still debating whether there is still room for development in small foldables, the Roll King Glory has officially entered the game with its own Magic V Flip.

With a super-large external screen, peak design, DSLR-level imaging experience, and a starting price of 4999... As the king of the foldable screen race, this is Glory's answer to the future of small foldable phones - a good small foldable is "free" in terms of design, experience, and price.

01 Well Received but Not Popular, "Unfree" Small Foldables

Compared to the revolutionary design of large foldable phones, the emergence of small foldables seems to be more in line with people's common sense. After all, in the era of feature phones, people longed to see a larger screen when opening a flip phone.

However, in terms of market performance, there has been a stark contrast between large and small foldables. According to Counterpoint Research's weekly data tracking service report, in the first quarter of 2024, shipments of foldable phones grew by 48% year-on-year, with shipments of flip-style large foldables growing by 91% year-on-year, while shipments of vertical small foldables declined by 1% year-on-year. This is not difficult to understand. On the one hand, the visual impact of large foldable screens is unparalleled by small foldables. On the other hand, the overall experience of small foldables is also inferior to large foldables. The reason for this is that the smaller size of small foldables determines greater development difficulties. As a result, manufacturers have had to compromise in areas such as battery life, imaging quality, and thickness, focusing instead on design, external screens, and hinge creases. Coupled with high prices, consumers' most intuitive feeling is that small foldables do not compare to the field of view of large foldables and also lose the convenience and freedom of straight phones. The only fashion factor has led to small foldables being labeled as "vases." Looking back at the history of mobile phone development, products with pioneering designs but only superficial appearances often have a fleeting moment. For manufacturers, if they want the small foldable product line to achieve long-term development, getting rid of the "vase" label and regaining "freedom" is the key.

02 Braving the Current, Glory's "Liberalism"

Small foldables have been developing for four years, and almost all mainstream phone manufacturers at home and abroad have launched their own small foldable products. It is also an undisputed fact that the overall performance has not met expectations. Glory chose to enter the market at this moment, braving the current, but also with a clear plan. From the perspective of exterior design, small foldables have already reached a relatively mature and stable stage, and it is unrealistic to make bold breakthroughs. However, there is still room for deep exploration in terms of design and experience. Taking the foldable external screen as an example, considering issues such as the arrangement of the camera and external screen, as well as the cost control of heteromorphic screens. Mainstream manufacturers mostly choose a side-by-side design, which makes the external screen space extremely limited and affects the user experience to a certain extent.

In response, Glory has made significant changes to the external screen - directly using the industry's largest full-screen external screen. And the screen quality is comparable to the internal screen, which has overturned people's perception that phone external screens can only be viewed but not used, truly realizing external screen freedom.

Facing the industry's difficult-to-solve issue of hinge durability, the Glory Magic V Flip is also equipped with the same self-developed shield steel as the Glory Magic V2, combined with high-strength aerospace-grade ultra-thin steel foil. With over 400,000 folding endurance, it finds a balance between body thickness and hinge stiffness, giving consumers the confidence and freedom to fold whenever they want. This is also Glory's profound interpretation of folding freedom. In addition, the imaging capabilities of foldable phones have always been criticized. Similarly, due to the size of the phone body, the imaging experience of small foldable phones is often inferior to that of straight flagship phones. How to fit stronger imaging modules into a slender body also reflects the design skills of manufacturers. This time, Glory has not been stingy, introducing a DSLR-level imaging module and a more comprehensive algorithm that supports DSLR-level portrait engines, breaking the outside perception that foldable phones are "good-looking but not good for taking pictures."

With a large external screen, greater durability, and better imaging, Glory has precisely identified and addressed people's grievances about small foldables. It is not difficult to imagine that "small foldable + great freedom" is expected to become a new direction for internal competition among manufacturers in the future.

03 External Screen Freedom Brings Design Freedom

Looking at the products on the market, it will be found that compared to straight phones and large foldables, the design of small foldables is generally more avant-garde, with meticulous attention paid to everything from color schemes to textures and even the outside of the hinge. Manufacturers know that the smaller form factor of small foldables注定了其时尚数码的定位, and whoever has a more advanced design will capture consumers' attention. However, it cannot be ignored that due to the "varied combinations" of the external screen and camera, when a small foldable phone is opened, the blending of multiple elements will cause a certain degree of fragmentation on the back of the phone body.

However, the integrated design of the external screen and camera on the Glory Magic V Flip enhances the integrity of the back of the phone. The most intuitive impact is that with the large external screen displaying content, there is more room for creativity in the design of the back of the phone body. To this end, Glory has been more imaginative in the color scheme selection of the Magic V Flip, offering three highly transparent color schemes with a gemstone-like texture and brightness rivaling high-end jewelry. This combination of half-screen and half-jade makes the Glory Magic V Flip even more natural. To further highlight the exquisite feel of the product, Glory has also collaborated with Prof. Jimmy Choo to launch a high-end version. The latter is favored by many celebrities for its unique design style and meticulous craftsmanship. This high-end version is inspired by crystal shoes, with a diamond-like sparkling effect that solidifies the positioning of the Magic V Flip high-end version as a fashionable luxury item.

It is worth noting that to make the Glory Magic V Flip more in line with fashionistas' demanding pursuit of lightweight high-end accessories, Glory has also broken the record for thinness in the vertical folding category. The more slender design brings a straight line improvement in both visual and tactile experience. It is evident from this series of design innovations that Glory intends to distinguish its small foldable from other brands, injecting more "high-end accessory" genes into the Glory Magic V Flip with a more avant-garde look. Glory's refinement in design has become a microcosm of current phone manufacturers' pursuit of the integration of technology and fashion, and the Glory Magic V Flip has taken this to the extreme. As phone styling tends to converge, giving phones fashion attributes has almost become a hard power for everyone. This step is not only the key to enhancing product premiums but also the core of elevating brand value.

04 Behind the Freedom, the Truth Lies in the Details

If iterations and updates in elements such as appearance, lightness, and durability meet people's expectations for small foldables, then changes in some subtle details can better reflect the true design skills of major phone manufacturers. The Glory Magic V Flip has a very special design: the pioneering right-hand screen small foldable design, which places the camera module in the lower left corner of the phone body. This change may seem simple, but it is indeed a clear insight into the usage habits of small foldable screens, as many users are accustomed to using their right hand for external screen operations. Placing the camera in the lower left corner can effectively avoid high-frequency usage areas, making it more convenient for one-handed operation and more in line with users' visual habits. Furthermore, the consumer group of small foldable phones has given rise to diverse folding photography needs. The Glory Magic V Flip has also made an effort in folding photography, allowing consumers to obtain unique photography experiences from more angles and in more scenarios. Additionally, the interactive pet experience created based on the "large screen" can better satisfy consumers' emotional value needs.

Besides, delving into the configuration and design of the Glory Magic V Flip, it is evident that Glory has invested a lot of effort into this small foldable. Features such as the Qinghai Lake battery, enhanced internal screen display technology, and flagship-level chips show that the flagship experience of small foldables should never be "folded." It is not just for fashion-conscious people but also for everyone who has a pursuit for their phones.

05 Conclusion

In today's world where every phone manufacturer aims to reach new heights, the strategy of each product line is crucial. As an important race track for achieving this goal, grasping the strategic direction also determines whether one can stand firm in the high-end market. Not long ago, analysis agency Canalys released the global market ranking of vendors in the price segment above $600 in the first quarter of 2024, with Glory entering the top five in the global high-end market for the first time. On one hand, it is among the top five in the global high-end market, and on the other, it is the leader in the domestic foldable phone market. In four years, Glory has refined foldable phones into its own weapon for reaching new heights. If combined with the fact that Apple has intentionally or unintentionally followed its earlier proposed four-layer AI architecture strategy, Glory's position may not stop here. This is inseparable from its bold imagination for foldable phones.

Earlier, regarding small foldables, Glory CEO Zhao Ming once said, "What unique characteristics can still be explored in small foldables, and how can they present more special value? I believe that many times, it is a lack of imagination, and the value excavation is not enough." Just as he initially proposed "leading foldable phones into the era of mainstream phones," in Glory's foldable universe, the folding screen will not become a factor limiting the user experience. On the contrary, the infinitely extendable screen gives the phone infinite imagination space, and every user should gain more freedom from a series of technological dividends such as curved screens. As a leader in the foldable phone industry, after completing the puzzle of small foldables, Glory has not only become the most comprehensive phone manufacturer in terms of foldable categories currently available but has also ushered in a new chapter in the imagination journey of the small foldable market. It is indeed exciting to anticipate what kind of "imagination freedom" it will bring in the future.