TECNO proposes a foldable smartphone concept that can also be extended. VIDEO

TECNO, the Chinese mobile phone manufacturer that operates mainly in Africa and South Asia, has unveiled a smartphone concept that combines foldable and rollable technology. It is similar to what Samsung also showed at CES 2023 earlier this month, but proposes a more compact design, with inspiration from models such as the Galaxy Z Fold, Galaxy Z Flip and rollable phone concepts that have not yet been launched on the market.

It’s hard to believe that this phone from Tecno could be developed with currently available technology

The concept doesn’t have a final name, but it appears to be part of the flagship series of devices in TECNO’s portfolio called Phantom. It looks like a device similar to the Galaxy Z Fold, yes in an ultra-thin and sleek body. It appears to incorporate a foldable screen inside, which extends to the front on the side. On the back it has a small screen, similar to the one on the back of the Galaxy Z Flip phones. This small screen would be used for notifications, mirror for selfies and quick control of certain functions.

When you open the phone, you have the option to use the foldable screen at its normal size, or you can increase the screen size horizontally by expanding the left side, similar to what we’ve seen on the Oppo X 2021 or the LG Rollable concept. Only TECNO’s proposed system is different, as the screen isn’t rolled into a scroll, but just extended all the way out, where the Galaxy Z Fold has a separate screen: that narrow Cover Screen.

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While this concept looks impressive, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not a real product, and is unlikely to be realized in the near future. The rear camera modules don’t protrude at all from the thin body of the device, something practically impossible to achieve with the technology currently available. Also, the foldable mechanism would require new technology and the combination of foldable and extendable technology and would be a real challenge for any of the phone manufacturers, let alone TECNO, a small company in this field.

But it’s not just TECNO that is looking towards this possible future. Samsung Display keeps developing various folding and rolling solutions to enable ever bolder designs in the mobile device area. So even if this concept is not feasible at present, it could become possible in the next few years as technology advances in the area of displays.