Realme confirms it's working on a top-end 5G tablet - but not a foldable any time soon

Because of the pandemic lockdowns through 2020 and 2021, lots of Android phone brands diversified to tablets, and Realme was one such company that launched its debut big-screen device in the affordable Realme Pad.

This isn't the company's only sojourn into the tablet market though, because the company has confirmed to TechRadar lots of things about Realme's imminent future.

The company's VP Madhav Sheth spoke to TechRadar hot off the launch of the Realme GT 2 series, as part of annual tech show MWC 2022, about lots of aspects of the brand and its devices.

Tablets are coming

One question TechRadar asked pertained to the Realme Pad, as we were intriuged that Realme had opted to launch a more budget Android slate than many of its rivals. Well, it turns out more are on the way.

Speaking on the company's swift rollout into many different tech sectors, Sheth confirmed "tablets are definitely part of this and we will have new launches from entry-level all the way to premium 5G flagships tablets soon."

'Premium 5G flagships' is an exciting combination of words, and it makes it sound as though Realme is working on its own alternative to the iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 - super-powerful devices that are entertainment and productivity powerhouses.

One thing we're not sure on is the launch timeline. While Sheth did say "In 2022, we will enter over 15 new categories and launch over 50 new products," he didn't explicitly say that this premium slate, as opposed to more budget ones, would be included. So we might have some time to wait before seeing the Realme Pad Pro, or whatever it ends up being called.

But don't think about foldables

Naturally, another product type we asked about is foldable phones, especially since a rumor suggested the Realme GT 2 would get a foldable sibling. Well, Sheth didn't mince words.

"We don’t have any plans to release [a foldable] in the short-term," he told TechRadar - sorry, people who may have been clamoring for one.

That's not to rule out an eventual Realme Fold for good - "We have been working on lots of different forms of next-gen displays. Foldable is one of the important areas that we’ve been looking at."

So it sounds like the company is considering foldables, but hasn't committed to a certain type or design yet. It's likely just filing patents and investing R&D on the matter, which could mean a flexing phone is many years out.

Many brands have said they're considering foldable phones; very few have actually launched such devices. So it feels honest that Realme is tempering fans' expectations, though we'd love to see the company's value-for-money mantra rolled out to bending mobiles.

• These Realme GT 2 Pro microscope photos show how far camera phones have come