Royole Corp, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer of flexible displays, on Wednesday signed a strategic partnership with Chinese telecom equipment firm ZTE Corp to jointly promote the popularization and application of fully foldable screens in the 5G era.

The startup, established in 2012 by Stanford graduate Liu Zihong, also launched its third generation Cicada Wing fully-flexible display, which has realized mass production.

Liu promised the 0.01 millimeter-thick screen can reach a minimum bend radius of just 1 millimeter and provide the smoothest folding experience in the industry, even after more than 200,000 bends.

The entrepreneur said he is looking forward to supporting ZTE to create innovative foldable smartphones that fully utilize the advantages of Royole's flexible solutions.

ZTE in 2018 created a new foldable smartphone category with ZTE Axon M and last year launched its first 5G smartphone, which has been available in more than 10 countries on a global scale.

Besides ZTE, the startup has established cooperation with more than 500 brands in various fields, such as Louis Vuitton, Airbus, China Mobile and Chinese sports brand Li Ning, Liu said.

Meanwhile, Royole also unveiled the second generation of its flexible phone FlexPai, featuring its latest screen, super seamless hinge and 5G communications. The handset is expected to hit the consumer market in the second quarter of this year.