TCL Communication Technology has unveiled new foldable concept phones. These include a rollable Amoled display that can extend the size of the phone's screen, and a double-hinged device that can expand a smartphone to the size of a tablet. No pricing or launch details for the devices were announced.
TCL announced a year ago already that it was working on foldable designs, with its DragonHinge, and said it would launch devices in 2020 once it had perfected the technology. While no commercial launches have been announced yet, the company has unveiled additional concepts, such as the rollable display and the ButterflyHinge for the triple-screen device.
The first concept re-imagines the standard smartphone design, adding an internal motor and rollable Amoled display to extend the 6.75-inch screen to a 7.8-inch display with the press of a button. This allows for a new device user experience that includes split screen and multi-tasking UI enhancements, TCL said. Thanks to a larger axis and rolled display, the device has no creases as commonly found with foldable Amoleds. When not in use, the motor-driven sliding panel conceals the flexible display.
The second concept offers a hybrid smartphone/tablet. This working prototype uses both of the company’s hinge technologies - DragonHinge and ButterflyHinge - to fold a 10-inch tablet into a 6.65-inch device with 20.8:9
aspect ratio and 3K display resolution. The dual hinges can fold inward and outward with a minimal gap.
