Parallels Toolbox 3 Released With Dark Mode and Other macOS Mojave Features

Parallels Toolbox for Mac has been updated with a handful of macOS Mojave features, including Dark Mode support and the ability to annotate screenshots with the new and improved systemwide Take Screenshot tool.

Parallels Toolbox 3, a free update for existing users, features three new tools for quickly uninstalling apps, viewing local times in various locations around the world, and revealing files and folders that are normally hidden in macOS.

The complete list of new and enhanced features added in Toolbox 3, as outlined in Parallels’ press release:

• Uninstall Apps: Easily remove applications and their files with a single click for faster removals.
• World Time: See local times in various locations around the world to save time when working with colleagues globally.
• Hidden Files: Reveals and conceals files normally hidden in MacOS to reduce desktop clutter and increase productivity.
• Annotate Screenshots: Available only for macOS Mojave users, they can now use the Take Screenshot tool to add helpful markups including text, arrows, circles and more for quicker use in emails or presentations
• Support for playlist download from video hosting websites: Quickly download playlists from Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and many more
• Safari Extension for Download Video: Users can now enjoy a download video extension on their Safari browsers for quicker access downloading online videos to their desktops (compatible with macOS Mojave and Safari 12)
• Dark Mode: Support for the setting in macOS Mojave
• Customizable “Save As”: Each individual tool now allows new files to be saved in customizable locations, rather than the same default destination, for streamlined efficiency
• Resize Image: HEIF now joins JPEG, TIFF, and PNG as supported formats
• Record Audio: Users can now save audio recordings in a MP3 file format, with the built-in microphone in a single click. You can also record from an external microphone or the computer if it’s selected as the input source in System Preferences › Sound

Demo videos:

Parallels Toolbox adds a dropdown menu to the macOS menu bar with a collection of tools and shortcuts that simplify common tasks to just a click or two, such as taking screenshots, resizing images, hiding the desktop, recording audio, switching resolutions, creating password-protected archives of files, and more.

Parallels Toolbox 3 is available today for $19.99 per year for new users. The annual subscription includes free updates with new and enhanced tools as they become available “several times a year.” Lower-priced Toolbox Packs with specific collections of tools are also available from $9.99 per year.

Note that while Parallels is best known for its virtualization software that allows for Windows and Linux to be run within macOS, its Toolbox software can be used natively on any compatible Mac or Windows PC.

Related Roundup: macOS MojaveTag: Parallels
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Deals: Black Friday Prep Begins, New Anker Discounts, Targus Sitewide Sale, and More

We’re just over two weeks away from Black Friday 2018, and in preparation we have begun compiling sales that we know are coming in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup. This Roundup includes sales on Apple devices and other tech-related items that have been shared early ahead of the shopping holiday, or in some cases have leaked online.

So far, we know that Target will have sales on iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad mini 4. Apple Watch Series 3 will be marked down by $80 (as low as $199 for the 38mm GPS only model), and the iPad mini 4 will be available for $249.99, a $150 discount from the regular price of $399.99. Macy’s is matching Target’s sale on Apple Watch Series 3, and Costco will have its on sale on the 32GB 9.7-inch iPad from Early 2018, priced at $249.99, down from $319.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

So far, other major retailers with Black Friday deals we know about include Belk, Kohl’s, JCPenney, and Dell, so we’re still waiting on other companies like Best Buy, Walmart, The Home Depot, GameStop, and more. The shopping tracker site BestBlackFriday.com is keeping track of all these ad scans, deals, and more. For specific discounts, offers, store times, and more related to Black Friday, be sure to keep an eye on our Black Friday Roundup as we’ll continuously update it leading up to November 23.

Ahead of Black Friday, Anker has outlined its promo codes for the month of November, this time including a few USB-C cables and accessories that will pair well with the new 2018 iPad Pro. The full list of Anker’s new Amazon sale can be found below, and be sure to pay attention to the expiration dates and place your order before the codes are discontinued.

• PowerPort Wireless Qi-Certified Charging Stand – $16.99 with code ANKER253, down from $19.99 (exp. 11/8)

• Soundcore Spirit Pro IP68 Headphones – $39.99 with code SDCREPRO, down from $49.99 (exp. 11/18)

• Roav VIVA 2-Port USB Car Charger – $33.99 with code ROAVFF44, down from $59.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline II USB-C to USB-C 2.0 (6ft) – $8.39 with code ANKE8482, down from $11.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A Cable (Gray and Red; 2-Pack; 6ft) – $9.99 with code CABLE266, down from $12.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A Cable (Gray and Red; 2-Pack; 3ft) – $7.99 with code CABLE265, down from $9.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline+ 10ft Lightning Cable (All Colors) – $13.49 with code ANKERPLN, down from $17.99 (exp. 11/30)

• PowerLine II USB-C to C 2.0 Cable (3ft) – $6.99 with code ANKE8481, down from $9.99

Mobile accessory company Targus recently began a new 15 percent off sitewide sale that will last until the end of 2018, timing that will be perfect for both early and late holiday shoppers. Targus is known for its laptop bags and cases, luggage, iPad cases, and the company also makes multiple docking stations that support USB-C/Thunderbolt 3. You can get 15 percent off your order using the promo code TARGUS15SAS, which includes items on the Targus sale page.

Additionally, Targus is offering free shipping with no minimum using promo code FREESHIPPINGSAS. These codes can’t be used within the same order, however, so you’ll have to choose which works best with your purchase. For all orders, Targus offers free shipping when your cart exceeds $35. Head to Targus to start browsing, and you have until December 31 to place your order and take advantage of the sitewide and free shipping promo codes.

Over on iTunes, this week Apple introduced an “Iconic Moments” movie sale, offering a group of films at a reduced price of $7.99 with new pieces of cover art that reference memorable moments within each film. Check out all of the movies in the list below, and if you’re interested be sure to pick up the movies before next Tuesday, when the iTunes Movies store will refresh again.

$7.99 Iconic Moments

• The Polar Express

• Beetlejuice

• The Mask

• The Goonies

• Citizen Kane

• Mars Attacks!

• Ben-Hur

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

• Singin’ in the Rain

• Ocean’s 11

• Crazy Stupid Love

• A Clockwork Orange

• Gravity

• A Nightmare on Elm Street

• A Star is Born (1954)

• Gran Torino

• Bullitt

• Empire of the Sun

• The Bodyguard

• The Exorcist

• Point Break

• The Bridges of Madison County

• Rebel Without a Cause

• Risky Business

• The Lost Boys

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

• Bonnie and Clyde

• Lethal Weapon

If you’re on the hunt for more sales as holiday shopping begins, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup, which today includes a flash sale on the official Apple Leather Case in Taupe for iPhone X and iPhone 7 Plus/8 Plus, priced at $22.99 on Best Buy.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Apple Store Openings This Month: The Westchester, Third Street Promenade, Bangkok, and Likely Champs-Élysées

Apple has announced that two of its retail stores in the United States will reopen over the next week following months of renovations, while two brand new locations are also expected to open in Paris and Bangkok.

Apple Third Street Promenade prior to renovations this year
Apple The Westchester in White Plains, New York is set to reopen Saturday, November 10 at 10 a.m. local time, while Apple Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California is slated to reopen Saturday, November 17 at 10 a.m. local time. Each store has received a facelift based on Apple’s latest retail design.

Apple is celebrating the reopening of its Third Street Promenade store with colorful artwork and Today at Apple sessions.

“We’re celebrating the vibrant creative minds that fill Santa Monica with color through a new wave of inspiring Today at Apple sessions,” the store listing on Apple.com says. “From snapping creative selfies to developing a unique sound — and an hour of discovery just for kids — it’s all happening at Apple.”

Apple Third Street Promenade first opened in 2003, before relocating in 2012 to a larger space with a glass rooftop. The Third Street Promenade is a pedestrian-only, outdoor shopping district in the downtown area of Santa Monica.

Apple The Westchester is located in an indoor shopping mall of the same name in downtown White Plains, New York, an affluent community in Westchester County, roughly 30 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. The store originally opened in September 2002 as one of Apple’s first 50 retail locations worldwide.

Elsewhere, Apple previously announced that its first retail store in Thailand will open at the Iconsiam shopping mall in Bangkok on Saturday, November 10 at 10 a.m. local time. Like the Third Street Promenade store, Apple is celebrating its first Thai store with special artwork and Today at Apple sessions.

And in Paris, France, a brand new Apple Store will “soon” open along The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the city’s most iconic streets. The store will replace the nearby Apple Carrousel du Louvre, which permanently closed last month.

(Thanks, Akaba!)

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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Apple Releases Updated Version of iOS 12.1 for iPhone XR

Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12.1 for the iPhone XR, one week after the initial launch of iOS 12.1 and a little over a week since the iPhone XR’s October 26 launch.

The new iOS 12.1 software for the iPhone XR carries a build number of 16B94, a slight change from the original 16B93 build number.

The update doesn’t appear to be showing up on devices that have already installed iOS 12.1, suggesting the new version of the software is designed for customers who have not yet upgraded their iPhone XR devices to the iOS 12.1 update. Why Apple released an updated version of iOS 12.1 for the XR is unknown, but it’s likely to include minor bug fixes.

iPhone XR owners who have not yet installed iOS 12.1 can do so over-the-air by going to Settings –> General –> Software Update.

iOS 12.1 is a major update that brings a host of new features to the iPhone XR. It brings support for the eSIM, a digital SIM that lets you activate a cellular plan from a carrier without the need to use a physical SIM card.

eSIM support is not yet available from U.S. carriers, but AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are working on implementing support before the end of the year. Other carriers around the world have begun introducing eSIM support.

iOS 12.1 also brings a new real-time Depth Control feature, which lets you adjust the depth of field of your Portrait Mode photos before you capture them, and it adds support for Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people.

Other new features include more than 70 new emoji and several important bug fixes that should entice anyone who has not yet installed the update to do so.

Excessive skin-smoothing with the front-facing camera, for example, has been addressed, with Apple updating the Smart HDR feature of the iPhone XR’s camera to use a sharper base frame to preserve more detail.

The update also improves cellular connectivity on the iPhone XR and fixes bugs with voicemails, the phone app, Screen Time, Family Sharing, and more.

Related Roundup: iPhone XRBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XR (Buy Now)
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Apple Releases Updated Version of Shortcuts App With iPad Pro Support

Apple today updated its dedicated Shortcuts app for iOS 12 devices to version 2.1.1, introducing support for the new iPad Pro models that are set to be released tomorrow.

Apple’s 11 and 12.9-inch 2018 iPad Pro models are the latest Apple devices that will work with the Shortcuts app, which is designed to let you create multi-step shortcuts and automations using first and third-party apps that can then be activated with Siri commands.

With Shortcuts, for example, you can create an automation to do something like turn on the thermostat at home using the Nest app, text your roommate that you’re on the way with Messages, and open up the Maps app with directions home all with a single “I’m going home” Siri command spoken when leaving work.

Shortcuts are deeply customizable, with Apple’s Shortcuts app providing a gallery of Shortcut suggestions along with the tools to create your own.

In addition to support for the new iPad Pro models, the 2.1.1 update introduces a long list of bug fixes, as outlined in Apple’s Shortcuts support document.

• Fixed an issue where some actions (including Send Email, Dictate Text, Run Home Scene, and Vibrate Device) may not work when invoked from Siri
• Fixed an issue where the Set Flashlight action caused an error message to appear
• Fixed an issue where the Call action wasn’t able to dial phone numbers with special characters (such as * or #)
• Fixed an issue where entered decimal numbers may not be recognized properly in locales that use a comma as the decimal separator
• Fixed an issue where the selected photo album in the Save to Photo Album action may be reset to “All Photos”
• Fixed an issue where the Toggle Alarm action wouldn’t disable alarms until the “Enable” switch was turned on and back off
• Fixed an issue where the Speak Text action spoke using lower-quality voices

Shortcuts can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Review: LaCie’s New Portable SSD is Pocket-Sized With Up to 2TB Storage and Fast Transfer Speeds

LaCie, Seagate’s premium brand, today announced the launch of the new LaCie Portable SSD, a palm-sized storage device with up to 2TB of storage space.

The new Portable SSD is one of LaCie’s smallest and lightest SSD options, with the 1TB model measuring in at about three and a half inches long and just under three inches wide. It’s pocketable at about 1/4 of an inch thick, and it easily fits into a bag or backpack without taking up much space.

LaCie says this drive is suitable for on-the-go use with drop resistance of up to two meters. We dropped it a few times from a two-meter height onto wood flooring to test LaCie’s claim, and the SSD suffered no harm.

The SSD is made from a black plastic material with a red-rimmed black metal plate at the top that catches the light and looks quite attractive. There’s unobtrusive LaCie branding at the top of the drive and a white LED at the front that comes on when it’s plugged into a computer. The LED is a bit too bright in a dimmer room, but it’s not a dealbreaker.

LaCie offers the Portable SSD drive in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, so there are a total of three models at three price points. 500GB of storage costs $125, 1TB of storage costs $270, and 2TB of storage costs $540.

LaCie says that the Portable SSD features USB 3.1 Gen 2 with maximum read/write speeds up to 540/500MB/s, which wasn’t too far off of the speeds that we saw in our testing of the 1TB review unit that LaCie sent for evaluation ahead of the product’s launch.

Using a Blackmagic Disk Speed Test with a 2016 MacBook Pro, read speeds for us maxed out at about 524MB/s, while write speeds maxed out at 485MB/s. We didn’t quite see LaCie’s maximum speeds with the 1TB model, but it was still quick.

Transferring 45GB of photos from the MacBook Pro to the LaCie drive took just about four minutes, and LaCie says that you can transfer one hour of 4K 30fps footage (aka 30GBs) to the drive in about a minute. We didn’t see transfer speeds quite that fast, but on the 1TB model, but it wasn’t far off.

Transfer speeds will, of course, differ based on what other peripherals you might have plugged into your Mac and your Mac’s overall workload. During testing, the Portable SSD stayed cool, getting only the slightest bit warm when transferring a large number of files.

LaCie ships the Portable SSD with both a USB-C to USB-C cable for connecting USB-C accessories to one of Apple’s Macs with a USB-C port and a USB-C to USB-A port to connect it a Mac with a USB-A port, so it’s compatible with both. You won’t get USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds with a USB-A port though, so be aware of that.

The drive comes formatted in exFAT, so it is compatible with both Mac and Windows machines, but it can be reformatted using the Disk Utility feature in macOS. It comes equipped with a link for registration and to download the LaCie Toolkit software for managing the device.

LaCie’s software is designed to sync files between mirrored folders on your computer and the Portable SSD and it is not required.

LaCie’s drive features a three-year warranty and a three-year Seagate Rescue Data Recovery Plan that offers data recovery should the drive fail.

Bottom Line

If you need ultraportable storage for uploading and saving content while on the go, LaCie’s new Portable SSD is worth checking out thanks to its small size, durability, and fast transfer speeds. It is pricier than some other options that you might find on Amazon, but it does come with a three-year warranty, which is worth taking into account.

How to Buy

The LaCie Portable SSD can be purchased starting this month from third-party resellers like Best Buy, Adorama, B&H Photo, and more. 500GB of storage is available for $125, 1TB of storage is available for $270, and 2TB of storage is available for $540.

Note: LaCie provided MacRumors with a 1TB Portable SSD for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tags: LaCie, Seagate
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First iPad Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini Orders Begin Arriving to Customers in Australia and New Zealand

Apple customers in Australia and New Zealand are always the first to get their hands on new devices on launch day because of time zone differences, and the Apple’s newest devices are no exception.

It’s morning time in Australia and New Zealand and customers who pre-ordered one a new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac mini are beginning to receive their shipments and have started sharing arrival news on Twitter, Instagram, and the MacRumors forums.

There are no Apple Stores in New Zealand, so customers in Australia are the first to be able to purchase one of Apple’s new devices from an Apple retail location. Apple should have iPad Pro models available for walk-in purchases along with base models of the MacBook Air and Mac mini.

iPad Pro pre-orders sold out quickly after the new tablet was announced, so how much stock will be available for walk-in purchases is unknown.

Following New Zealand and Australia, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini sales sales will kick off in Asia, Europe, and finally, North America. Apple Stores globally are opening up at their standard times to allow customers to pick up reserved devices and make walk-in purchases.

In the United States, the first new device deliveries and sales will take place on the East Coast starting at 8:00 a.m.

Aside from Apple, other retailers including carriers and big box stores should also be stocking the new devices.

We’ll be sharing first impressions of the new device from actual Apple customers in Australia and New Zealand, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors and if you’ve received a new MacBook Air, Mac mini, or iPad Pro, let us know what you think.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, Mac mini, MacBook AirBuyer’s Guide: 11″ iPad Pro (Buy Now), Mac Mini (Buy Now), MacBook Air (Buy Now), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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Apple Highlights 2018 MacBook Air and Mac Mini Reviews

Reviews for the new 2018 MacBook Air and Mac mini went live this morning ahead of tomorrow’s launch, and in a press release, Apple this afternoon highlighted reviews from several media sites that were able to spend some time with the new machines.

Apple shared review passages from sites that include CNBC, WIRED, Daring Fireball, PC Mag, Six Colors, Tom’s Guide, and more.

Daring Fireball, for example, called the MacBook Air the MacBook that “most people should buy,” and the Daily Express said “fans of this laptop” will love the new update because “it takes the concept of power and ultimate portability to a whole new level.”

Gear Patrol said the MacBook Air is the “perfect computer” for anyone looking to do “normal things” like web browsing, answering emails, and watching movies, while Refinery29 highlighted the MacBook Air’s 12-hour battery life.

As for the Mac mini, Six Colors said that the new update allows it to fill a wide range of needs, from basic server needs to “high-end applications that require a great deal of processor power.”

Tom’s Guide said that the Mac mini is the best option for those who want a compact Mac desktop for streaming media or getting into Apple computing, and ZDNet said the new version is “designed for all types of users” and is “no longer serving a niche market.”

As with prior reviews roundups for devices like the iPad Pro, Apple has only highlighted the positive elements from each review. For anyone considering a purchase of one of these machines, it’s worth taking a deeper dive into the reviews to get a full picture of both the positives and the negatives.

Apple’s full list of Mac mini and MacBook Air review selections can be seen in the article shared through the Apple Newsroom, while additional reviews can be found in our Mac mini and MacBook Air review roundups.

The new 2018 MacBook Air and Mac mini models officially launch tomorrow and base configurations will be available in Apple retail stores and from third-party retailers.

The first pre-orders for the machines are also set to be delivered on November 7 and have already started arriving in Australia and New Zealand.

Related Roundups: Mac mini, MacBook AirBuyer’s Guide: Mac Mini (Buy Now), MacBook Air (Buy Now)
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LG Display to Supply Apple With 400,000 OLED iPhone Panels By End of Year

Apple has contracted LG Display to begin production of OLED panels for iPhones. According to ETNews, the display panels will be produced at LG’s E6 production line in Paju, with shipping to begin next month.

LG will supply approximately 400,000 OLED panels to Apple before the end of the year, with the cost of each unit expected to be around $90.

In September it was reported that LG’s sixth-generation flexible OLED display panels passed a series of Apple’s quality tests, which led to the preparation phase for mass production.

In April, a report claimed that Samsung would likely remain Apple’s exclusive supplier of OLED display panels for its latest phones, after LG fell behind schedule due to mass production challenges.

However it looks like LG has cemented its position as Apple’s secondary supplier of OLED panels. Korean newspaper Newspin reported about a potential deal signed between Apple and LG back in July.

Apple in September launched the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED displays, respectively. Last month it launched the more affordable iPhone XR, but that phone has a 6.1-inch LCD “Liquid Retina” display.

Apple can potentially negotiate lower prices for OLED panels as Samsung and LG compete for its business, which should in turn lower its production costs of OLED-equipped iPhones.

Related Roundup: iPhone XSTags: etnews.co.kr, LG, OLED, LG DisplayBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XS (Buy Now)
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The world’s first foldable smartphone is awesome, and you shouldn’t buy it

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Since Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, smartphones have become more powerful, more stylish, and more feature-packed than ever before — but the overall form-factor has remained the same. The smartphone market is ripe for change, and foldable phones are gearing up to be the next big thing. You don’t have to wait until 2019, though, because a company called Royole has beaten everyone to the punch with the Royole FlexPai.

Is this foldable smartphone ready for consumers? And can a small, unknown company like Royole really take on the likes of Samsung? We had an opportunity to spend some time with the FlexPai, and the answer is a resounding “no,” and “no.” But that doesn’t mean Royole hasn’t delivered something interesting.

Foldable design

The FlexPai is a phone unlike any other, and that’s immediately noticeable when you first lay eyes on it. When folded out the device offers a 7.8-inch display, which sits firmly in “small tablet” territory, with a 1,920 x 1,440 pixel resolution. Folded up, the FlexPai suddenly delivers two displays — one with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the other with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Royole demonstrated a few use-cases for a device with two displays. For example, when taking a photo of someone, you can show the viewfinder on both the front and the back display, allowing the subject to be able to see themselves while they’re being photographed.

Christian de Looper/Digital Trends

You don’t need to use the second display when it’s folded up. The FlexPai can automatically detect which display you’re using, turning the other one off. In our limited time with it, we found it to work reasonably well, but there were often stutters and skips in the software figuring out which display it should be using.

The screen itself is plastic, not glass, which Royole said can fold 200,000 times until it degrades. That many folds means if you fold it 100 times a day, the screen should have no problem lasting five years before you’ll start seeing significant wear and tear. It’s highly unlikely you’ll be unfolding a phone this many times. Despite having no issues folding the device in and out, we did see some air bubbles under the hinged part of the display, and touch sensitivity was wonky. We were told this is because the phone is a prototype, and these problems shouldn’t be present on the final version. We’re skeptical, but we’ll have to wait and see to find out.

We did see some air bubbles under the hinged part of the display, and touch sensitivity was wonky.

The phone folds up with a hinge, and there’s a gap between the two sides of the phone, which not only makes the device thicker, but it also makes it a little awkward to hold and use. Phone thickness and overall feel is something foldable phone manufacturers will have to address if this is the future of the smartphones, because it’s not comfortable to use the FlexPai.

2018 continues the bezel-less smartphone trend, where the edges around the screen are minimized, but it looks like we may have to go back in time with foldable phones because the FlexPai has chunky bezels. When folded out into a tablet, the bezel is found on top; while in phone mode, it’s on the left side of one of the two displays. In that inch-thick bezel, there are two camera sensors, including one 20-megapixel telephoto lens and one 16-megapixel wide-angle lens.

Clunky software

Perhaps the biggest question mark with the FlexPai is software. Every time we folded or unfolded the phone, the software skipped around a little before settling in on the right mode. It runs a forked version of Android that Royole calls Water OS, and the company said it’s still working on ensuring the software works properly before release. On top of that, it’s also unclear how well third-party apps will work on the FlexPai without special development. When asked, we were told “third-party apps would work on the phone as-is, but apps specially developed will work better.” We’re not confident this phone will be able to run all the usual apps in a well-optimized manner.

Christian de Looper/Digital Trends

Under the hood, the phone comes with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and storage options of 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB. According to Royole, the chipset on offer is a Qualcomm “8-series” processor developed with a 7nm process. That’s means the device likely features the next-gen Qualcomm flagship processor that hasn’t even been announced yet. It remains to be seen exactly what that chip will be called, but it will likely bring 5G support.

Conclusions

The Royole FlexPai is an interesting product — likely one of the world’s first foldable phone — but it’s hardly feels like a consumer-ready product. With Samsung set to unveil what will likely be a more polished device in the near future, it’s hard to imagine people walking around with a phone from a brand name no one has heard about in the U.S.. There’s also the cost. Royole said it’s been taking pre-orders in China, at a cost of 8,999 Yuan ($1,300) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model, 9,998 Yuan ($1,445) for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage model, or 12,999 Yuan ($1,879) for the 8GB RAM + 512GB storage model. Even in an era of $1,000+ smartphones, that’s a lot of cash to pay for a first-gen phone that hasn’t yet proven to work properly or even be truly useful.

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