Over the past two years, LG has been working on a retractable smartphone, which is a device with a typical phone display that can expand into a small tablet. This idea has not yet been embodied in a production product, but LG offered its view of such a device in a small teaser during its press conference at CES 2021.
The company did not go into details about the promising smartphone, but representatives confirmed to Engadget reporters that it will be called the LG Rollable when it launches. The name is rather banal, but it could be worse – at least, it immediately makes it clear what it is about: it means that when folded, part of the display can curl inside the case.
Details are scarce so far, but visually the LG Rollable looks like a pretty tempting answer to Samsung’s slew of foldable phones. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which combines a tall and narrow outer display with a wide inner display, the Rollable’s single screen is the same size as a traditional smartphone display, unless mechanically expanded to the size of a small tablet. From what is known, this design will avoid the characteristic crease present in many existing folding solutions.
Of course, adding mechanical complexity to a device that will dangle in bags and fall from time to time creates certain problems. As mentioned, LG hasn’t said much about the Rollable display mechanism, but engineers will certainly try to make it as durable and reliable as possible. This is especially important when you consider the fact that, unlike foldable phones, roll-up phones have not yet been tested by the mainstream user.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOJY9hBioPI
Hopefully, LG’s experience with rollable TVs, as well as the long and secretive development of the device, will save Rollable’s launch of unnecessary roughnesses. It is worth noting that other companies have already publicly announced their work in the same direction. The most striking one can be considered Oppo X 2021 – several Chinese reporters even had the opportunity to get acquainted with working prototypes in November (however, the company couldn’t say anything about launch prospects).
TCL also demonstrated a prototype smartphone with a retractable screen in early 2020, although she noted that such a device will not be commercially available for some time, as the mechanism still needs to be improved. Given the speed at which Oppo and TCL are usually working on smartphone concepts, we can assume that in 2021 we will have two or three competing devices with rollable displays.
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