Rolling screen TVs, disappearing into the masses of an elegant living room, are nothing new. But so far, no one has dared to launch a smartphone with a running screen.
Implemented “correctly”, the innovation could be even more spectacular than the foldable phone, the new device can take any shape, the screen being just an extension that you bring to the front when needed.
After first refusing to invest in foldable phones, developing its own smartphone concept equipped with a second optional screen, LG now seems to jump completely over the “fashion” of mobile phones, pioneering a new concept of running screen smartpone .
Smartphone with running screen, better than the foldable one?
According to rumors, LG is preparing no less than three smartphone models based on the new design concept, the first prototype having already entered production at the South Korean factory Pyeongtaek.
Surprisingly, the screen reserved for the first generation of mobile phones is not delivered by LG Display factories, but by the Chinese manufacturer BOE. This last detail could suggest that LG will not be the only beneficiary, a “patriotic” attitude on the part of the Chinese manufacturer involving the support of the local industry, represented by several smartphone manufacturers under the protection of the power in Beijing. In fact, the Chinese manufacturer TCL even demonstrated several design concepts for foldable phones in the first part of this year, including a design with three folding areas. We also learn from rumors that Samsung is developing a slider smartphone with a running screen.
Comparing the two product categories, foldable phones subject the screen to accelerated wear, especially in a concentrated space, located in the folding area. Instead, rolling screens distribute the “effort” over the entire surface and in a much more predictable way, without concentrating mechanical stresses in a specific area.
Certainly, LG is not the only company to invest in the development of roll-up phones, with this product niche having at least as much potential as folding phones.