Royole Releases DIY Foldable Phone Kit

Royole was the first company to release a folding smartphone shortly before Samsung released its Galaxy Fold, but being first doesn't mean being the best. The Royole FlexPai has been described as dismal by those who have used the device, but the electronics company has learned from that failure and is back for round two with the RoKit Flexible Electronics Development Kit. Designed to be developer-friendly, it only takes five steps to piece together the flexible phone.

The kit comes in an anodized aluminum briefcase and includes a third generation Cicada Wing 7.8" (1440 x 1920) AMOLED flexible display, a flexible sensor module that transforms the display into a touchscreen, a Qualcomm SDA660 development board (8-core CPU, 3 Gb of RAM, 32 Gb of storage), and an HDMI to MIPI adapter. The development board also comes equipped with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, speaker, G-sensor/gyroscope, microphone, optical sensor, USB Type-C, power switch – everything needed to build a smartphone and more.

The development board comes loaded with the Android 10 operating system, making it easy for developers to create different apps. Add-on modules can also be utilized to further optimize software functions, including app continuity, multi-window support, and other features for foldable screen form factors. They can also be used to develop new features that take advantage of flexible qualities.

"We are at the dawn of a new flexible era, where computing interfaces are becoming possible in places and things we've only ever dreamt of," Royole states in the RoKit press release. "From wearable stretchable screens to three-dimensional displays, to transparent smart glasses, windows and windshields; flexible technologies will provide unparalleled freedom to designers and builders to transform the way we live, work and engage with the world around us."

Royole is offering the RoKit Flexible Electronics Kit on its website for $959, although it's currently out of stock.