While there are already several foldable smartphones out there, not everyone is convinced that it’s the next big thing for phones, at least display-wise. We’ve also seen some prototypes of other display innovations but now LG is teasing something pretty impressive with its upcoming LG Rollable. They gave a 10-second glimpse of what it may look like and how it will “roll out” literally at the company’s CES 2021 keynote. And based on that sneak peak, this is something that can be pretty exciting for the industry.
Instead of imitating or doing their own version of a foldable device like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, they are working on a rollable display rather than a foldable one. Based on the teaser, it looks like a regular smartphone/tablet except that apparently, it can slide in and out, giving you a bigger, flexible OLED panel or a smaller, regular one if that’s what you need at the moment. So basically you can convert your smartphone into a tablet and vice versa.
The main difference between the LG Rollable and other foldable devices is that it doesn’t need a secondary external display. The interface will be able to adapt to how much screen you are currently using. It should be able to extend or contract the UI and the apps you’re currently using. There were no other details announced during the keynote but they already have everyone buzzing. It’s pretty similar to the TCL rollable prototype that they announced last year but LG seems to be on the faster track.
Of course, there’s probably still a lot of work to be done as we assume there are a lot of complex mechanical parts to make that work. We don’t know if the mechanism is motorized or manually operated and there may also be some questions about the durability of a rollable OLED. The first generation will probably face the toughest test, similar to what Samsung faced with their first-generation Galaxy Fold.
There are no details on the timetable as well but the fact that they teased it at this CES must mean there’s a lot of major movements on it already. Of course, we’ll bring you more news as soon as details become available (or are leaked) on this LG Rollable.