News + Trends
Fold n' Roll: this smartphone folds and rolls
by Jan Johannsen
Concept smartphone at MWC 2022: No other has had this much folding yet
28-2-2022
Translation: machine translated
TCL's new inexpensive entry-level smartphones are overshadowed by the concepts on display at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The folding smartphone with a 360-degree hinge is particularly conspicuous.
TCL only launches inexpensive smartphones on the market, but likes to show unusual prototypes at trade shows like the MWC. The novelty among the prototypes is called 360° Ultra Flex. However, the Fold n' Roll, which was shown last spring, can also be seen in Barcelona.
Rotate instead of fold
The previous folding smartphones can be opened by a maximum of 180 degrees. Then their inner display results in a large and flat surface. TCL's 360° Ultra Flex rotates even further - by up to 360 degrees. This allows the smartphone to be put down and the 8-inch screen to be viewed from two sides. The AMOLED display of the prototype has a resolution of 2480×1860 pixels.
TCL should now find out what this is really useful for with the prototype. The manufacturer has definitely shown that it can build 360-degree hinges for smartphones with the concept. The colleagues from Engadget show in their video that the Ultra Flex is still far from being ready for production.
Surround Display
The Surround Display model also shows a new type of folding. In this concept, the display is virtually folded around the edge. Whether the outer area no longer reacts to touch when unfolded or you can only hold the smartphone with your right hand is hard to say from a distance.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.