Today in Hong Kong, TCL Communication showed off some interesting new concept smartphones, showing off new technology in foldable and flexible displays. One of them is a tri-fold, as seen above, and the other is actually rollable.
The tri-fold phone is exactly what it sounds like. On its own, it"s a 6.65-inch smartphone with a 20.8:9 aspect ratio and a 3K resolution. Opened up all the way, it"s a 10-inch tablet. The back of the device has a 3D holographic finish, and with its dual hinges, TCL says that there"s minimal gap.
"With these latest concept devices, TCL has clearly shown that there is still plenty of room for new ideas when it comes to flexible and foldable display technologies, and it’s critical for us to think outside the box and lead with innovation," said Shane Lee, General Manager, Global Product Center at TCL Communication. "These new form factors leverage display and hinge technologies that already exist entirely within our fully integrated TCL ecosystem, allowing us to reimagine the future of mobile device development with an aggressive research and development program."
That"s not all, because the other one has a rollable display. It starts out as a 6.75-inch smartphone that"s 9mm thick, and you can just press a button to extend it to a 7.8-inch screen. It uses motors to expand the display, and since it doesn"t fold, there"s no crease like you"d find in a foldable phone. TCL also says that it"s including customizations like a split-screen UI.
Unfortunately, you can"t buy any of these devices right now, as cool as they look. TCL says that there"s no pricing or availability being announced at this time. For now, we"ll just have to drool over them.