Almost all major smartphone companies are working on foldable phones since it seems to be the next design iteration in the world of smartphones. Samsung has already launched its Galaxy Fold smartphone and is rumoured to be working on two more models. On the other hand, Huawei unveiled its Mate X foldable phone but it is yet to hit the markets. Now, an unexpected entrant in the field of foldable smartphones is making waves, Roberto Escobar, Pablo Escobar’s brother.
Roberto Escobar has launched the Escobar Fold 1 foldable smartphone. The handset is being sold via Escobar Inc, which is the official holding company for Pablo Escobar that manages assets of the Escobar family. While one might think this foldable phone might be a fluke, its specifications on paper say otherwise. The Escobar Fold 1 is priced starting at $349 (€315 approx) and is currently the cheapest foldable phone available in the market.
Roberto Escobar also shared a statement with Digital Trends saying, “I have told many people that I would beat Apple and I will. I cut the networks and retailers, to sell to customers phones that can fold for only $349, phones which in stores cost thousands of dollars by Samsung and others. This is my goal, to beat Apple, and by doing it myself like I always have.”
Escobar Fold 1 specifications
In terms of hardware, the Escobar Fold 1 sports top of the line specs. It comes equipped with a 7.8-inch flexible AMOLED display that can fold outwards in half, similar to the Huawei Mate X, and has a 1920 x 1444p resolution. Powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset, the handset is paired with up to 8GB RAM and 512GB of storage. It is backed by a 4000mAh battery and it runs on Android 9 OS.
For camera, the Escobar Fold 1 sports a dual camera setup that works as both the main rear camera and the front camera, when the device is folded. It sports a 16 MP f/1.8 sensor, along with a 20 MP f/1.8 sensor. The camera is supplemented with a dual LED Flash and comes with support for Optical Image Stabilisation. The handset is also carrier unlocked so that it can work anywhere and the company provides free shipping as well.
Should Samsung be worried?
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold currently sells worldwide at an average price of €1000. Since the Escobar Fold 1 is priced considerably lower, it could pose as a serious competition for the South Korean smartphone manufacturer. However, one thing worth noting is that the Escobar Fold 1 quite closely resembles the Royole FlexPai, the first foldable phone. In terms of design and specifications, the phone by Escobar is almost identical to the FlexPai.
The Royole FlexPai didn’t receive as positive reviews as its manufacturers might have hoped and this was to be expected from the first foldable phone. Overall, it doesn’t seem like Samsung needs to be worried about the latest competition.
Main image credit: Escobar Inc
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