Foldable phone concept: discover these foldable and rolling smartphones

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• Foldable phone concept: discover these foldable and rolling smartphones

The foldable phone market isn't very crowded, but we're seeing a lot of folding and rolling smartphones being unveiled by companies that never see the light of day. These are called ``concept'' phones, the phones designed by companies to showcase new technology with no intention of selling the phones themselves. Instead, they are an indication of what we might see in the future. Many of these designs are intended for rollable or foldable smartphones, and to give you an idea of ​​what's out there, we've rounded up the main ones you should know about. These are devices that for the most part are unlikely to ever get full releases, at least not global ones, but do tease future plans. We're not mentioning any rumored foldable phones, or ones we've seen in the company's patent filings; there are tons of them from just about every tech company out there, and many look fake or ridiculously impractical. Instead, we only list phones that companies have actively disclosed to us. Some of them that we put into practice, others that we have just seen live or in official mockery. So read on for all the important foldable phone concepts.

Oppo

(Image credit: Oppo) The Oppo X Nendo was a collaboration between smartphone company Oppo and design brand Nendo, and it's... something? We had a hard time describing it on our initial cover, comparing it more to a car key, and back in the days when we still didn't think of good adjectives. The Oppo X Nendo folds on three hinges, so you can transform it from short and thick, long and skinny, and with a few steps in between. It seems that the "point" of this folding mechanism, if we can call it that, is that you can partially open the phone to leave a small preview window open. This allows you to check notifications or change music without fully opening the device. It's one of the most innovative foldable phones we've seen, a real joy for people who like weird tech, although it's definitely a case of 'form over function', the curious design is the Oppo's main selling point. X Nendo. We don't imagine this will ever go on sale, although we could be wrong. Check out our initial coverage of the Oppo X Nendo.

TCL's two foldable phones

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(Image credit: TechRadar) At various tech conferences, TCL showed off a range of concept phones, including two foldables you can see above. One has a single hinge and folds in half like a book, and the other has two and folds into a Z-fold. The important part of the TCL folding concept is the price; both were designed to be 'affordable foldable phones', to outwit high-priced rivals. Sure, they won't go on sale, but they're proof that foldable phones don't have to be expensive. If we do see a TLC foldable phone that can actually be bought, it could be a big deal for that very reason, so we'll keep our fingers crossed for such a device. Here's our look at the TCL foldable phone.

Oppo X 2021

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(Image credit: Oppo) The Oppo X 2021 is Oppo's rollable phone, going from a 6.7-inch smartphone to a 7.4-inch smartphone... a little bigger. It was unveiled as part of Oppo's Inno Day 2020, which the company is using to showcase its new tech, and it's on sale in China, but nowhere else. The fact that the Oppo X 2021 is going on sale anywhere shows that the company is confident in its rollable technology, so there's a chance that a future version (Oppo X 2022?) will get a larger version. For now though, the phone is proof that rollable smartphones could become just as popular as foldable smartphones. Check out our initial coverage of the Oppo X 2021.

Xiaomi flip phone

(Image credit: Xiaomi) A Xiaomi foldable phone has been teased in several short videos. They show a device with two folding hinges, instead of a single central fold. We heard a lot about this device in 2019, though things went quiet after that. Don't get too excited just yet, as this is just a concept device at the moment. While Lin Bin, co-founder of Xiaomi, posted on social media that "Xiaomi's dual foldable mobile phone is coming", he also said "if you like it, we will consider making a machine". of mass production in the future.” It may not be Xiaomi's only foldable, as the company has also patented a device that looks more like the Galaxy Z Flip or the Motorola Razr. Check out our teaser cover of the Xiaomi foldable phone.

TCL rollable phone

(Image credit: Future) In addition to sporting several foldable phones, TCL has a rollable one, in which the screen expands if a segment is removed. This brings the screen size from 6,75 inches to 7,8 inches, making it quite a stretch. The TCL rollable was a very early concept device when we tested it, the screen was literally just a piece of plastic, but since we got our hands on the device in early 2020, TCL has confirmed this. which still worked. We may soon see a version with a real screen. Find out our first impressions of the TCL rollable smartphone.

Royole flexpai 2

(Image credit: Royole) The Royole Flexpai 2 is, of all the foldable phones on this list, the most likely to go on sale. Way back in 2018, the Royole Flexpai was introduced, and it was technically the first commercially available foldable phone, though it wasn't easy to find. Royole has confirmed the successor to this device, and following its September 2020 launch in China, we expect global availability soon. The Flexpai 2 has a 7.8-inch screen that folds into a 5.5-inch screen, as well as quad rear cameras with a 64MP main camera, Snapdragon 865 chipset, and 5G connectivity. Given that Royole had the time and a previous product, we expect this to be a masterful take on the foldable phone formula, or at least a durable and sturdy one. What you need to know about the Royole Flexpai 2.

Energizer PowerMax 8100S

Image credit: TechRadar Earlier in 2019, Energizer - yes, the battery company, as it also makes smartphones and all-in-one phones - showed off its own foldable phone at MWC 2019. This is the Energizer Power Max 8100S, and it has a smartphone-sized screen when folded and a tablet-sized screen when unfolded. It was displayed behind glass and we couldn't touch it, so for all we know it could have been papier-mâché. According to Energizer, the highlight of this phone is probably its 10,000 mAh battery, but it also has a 48 MP main camera, a 12 MP secondary lens, and a 24 MP selfie camera. plus a Snapdragon 855 chipset and 8GB of RAM. We haven't heard from the Energizer Power Max 8100S since its introduction in early 2019, so don't expect it to go on sale. Check out our first impressions of the Energizer Power Max 8100S.