A double-folding 10-inch device, TCL rollable phone that folds out to nearly double in screen size, and a wallet-like clamshell that covers with no gap: TCL pulls out its foldable prototypes to practice, and it’s obvious that the team is active. First demonstrated at CES 2020 in January, the foldables are the handiwork of TCL’s telecommunications and monitor divisions, channeling some of Samsung’s vertical-integration approach that has proven so effective.
According to TCL, when used in “internet” form, the handset sits in at just 9 mm thick, rendering it far smaller than a typical foldable tablet. The software, too, will provide other advantages. In theory we agree that the design of roll-able is more elegant than a foldable, since the roll-able phone can always be used as a ‘ normal’-sized unit. Then, it could expand into a tablet-like experience by pressing a button, without the need for added bulk or a hinge in the design. It’s a handset in 6.75 inches and a slim 9 mm width. However, it can unfurl a rollable AMOLED screen that will slip out and produce a 7.8-inch mini-tablet. With this mockup you have to move it on your own, but in the practical version TCL has created an ultra-slim motor that powers the show. Some access to the latest and greatest of phones and tablets will leave you feeling pretty cynical about the competition for any specific length of time. The rectangular slabs that we all bear are cleverer than ever, but it’s challenging to get absolutely excited at times.
