Vivo unveiled its latest foldable smartphone X Fold 3 Pro. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chinese tech company Vivo has unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the X Fold 3 Pro, which is the world's lightest foldable phone that opens like a book amid the competitive market.

The move came as size and weight have been drawbacks for book-style foldable phones pursuit to reach the mainstream, and makers have increasingly released thinner and lighter foldable devices by using innovative materials and hinges.

Weighing 219 grams, Vivo Fold 3 Pro is lighter than Chinese brand Honor's Magic V2, the previous record holder's weight of 231 grams.

Vivo said the new phone uses second-generation silicon materials and a lightweight carbon fiber hinge.

Huang Tao, vice-president of Vivo, said the X Fold 3 Pro series marks the maturity of foldable screen technology and experience, which will help foldable smartphones enter the mass market.

Shipments of foldable smartphones in the Chinese market surged 114.5 percent in 2023 over the previous year to seven million units, according to global market research firm International Data Corp.

Global foldable smartphone shipments are expected to pass the 100-million mark by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 51 percent during the period, according to market research company Counterpoint Research.