CES 2021: LG Teases 'World's First Rollable Smartphone'

[MacRumors]

LG announced it will launch the world's first rollable smartphone this year, as it offered a sneak peek of the device at CES 2021 with a five-second teaser video.

The clip features a smartphone held in landscape orientation as the display rolls in from an expanded tablet-style form factor screen into a more compact chassis.

The hybrid handset is said to be based on flexible organic light-emitting diode technology, which is reportedly being supplied by China's BOE Technology Group, although the specifics of the tech remain unclear. Speaking at CES, the company told Nikkei Asia that the product would be officially released later this year:

"Our management wanted to show that it is a real product, as there were many rumors around the rollable phone," said Ken Hong, a spokesman for LG. "As it is released at CES 2021, I can tell that it will be launched this year."

LG's rollable display follows the moderate success of Samsung foldable smartphones, and comes as the LG's phone business is struggling financially due to stiff competition from the likes of Samsung, Huawei and Apple.

Apple has explored rollable displays in the past, based on patents from the company. In March 2020, a patent attributed to Apple appeared on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that describes an "Electronic device with flexible display structures."

The patent details a flexible display that can be wrapped around one or more internal roller mechanisms, allowing the screen to expand out of the chassis. A rigid section remains to house the printed circuit boards and other electronic components, but with the addition of the rollable display layers.

"Elongated bistable support members may run along the edges of the display or may be overlapped by a central active area of the display to help stiffen and support the display in its extended position," explains the patent, which conceives the technology as adaptable to anything from a smartphone to a smartwatch.

As with all Apple patents, there's no indication that Apple has plans to bring such a device to market, but it is interesting to see what sorts of future solutions Apple is eyeing as it seeks to innovate beyond current consumer-use technologies.

Article Link: CES 2021: LG Teases 'World's First Rollable Smartphone'

 

[Kylo83]

LG is a great company and I think there phones are always underrated

 

[neuropsychguy]

We will be able to scroll on our scrolls. That patent is for the new iScroll.

 

[tny]

As with all Apple patents, there's no indication that Apple has plans to bring such a device to market, but it is interesting to see what sorts of future solutions Apple is eyeing as it seeks to innovate beyond current consumer-use technologies.

> I suspect that the references in this paragraph to "Apple" were intended to be edited to say "LG?"

Sorry, must have skipped over part of a sentence there.

 

[33man]

Code name : Papyrus

and Egyptians will start a patent dispute

 

[themuseboy]

I'm curious to see the mechanics inside for the scrolling of the screen when dust and dirt enter from the edges.

 

[coredev]

It really looks like CGI to me, this whole shape shifting.
That isn't to say that they have actual prototypes of it.

 

[doolar]

LG is a great company and I think there phones are always underrated

The LG G2 was quite extraordinary at launch - way ahead of the rest IMO. LG are also one of few OEM's that try new and quirky stuff. Sometimes it feels a bit "throw-at-wall-see-what-sticks-y", but it is still fun.

 

[DaRev]

Rollable screens are exciting, I’d rather see them on tablets than phones since phones get tossed around more.

 

[Johns12]

Oh my. Already nine posts and not one saying, we don't need this, stupid idea, solving no problem, etc. I am happy to see tech advances being looked at through the prism of creativeness.

 

[JosephAW]

There’s nothing new under the sun.

 

[44267547]

LG is a great company and I think there phones are always underrated

I like your attitude. They are a great company, and a huge leader in the TV industry, but we can see the future is bright with new technology that has a long way to mature, but offer so much more potential compared to what’s been the ‘norm’ for over 10 years. Change is good.

 

[madmin]

Guess the folks at LG have been practising rolling *stuff* beforehand

 

[Mike_Trivisonno]

Pretty cool.

 

[Wyvernspirit]

Earth Final Conflict anyone?

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Might make it easier to stow larger devices in a pants pocket...

but so would a folding device.

 

[AngerDanger]

Might make it easier to stow larger devices in a pants pocket...

but so would a folding device.

I think the benefit here is the portability of a folding device without the creasing we've seen in the center of screens.

 

[az431]

Oh my. Already nine posts and not one saying, we don't need this, stupid idea, solving no problem, etc. I am happy to see tech advances being looked at through the prism of creativeness.

I agree, especially since everything you listed is 100% true.

 

[erinsarah]

I'm currently on a MS TEAMS meeting on my iPhone (and, as you can see, paying close attention) with about a dozen people. One just shared his desktop, which means I have to do a bunch of squinting and zooming to follow along. Not gonna lie...if I could suddenly make my screen twice as big in this way, that would be pretty darned slick.

 

[az431]

Might make it easier to stow larger devices in a pants pocket...

but so would a folding device.

It seeing how the device in the video would be easier to fit. First, note that only part of the device rolls. Second, when you roll something it becomes narrower, but it also becomes thicker. Since you need some space between the rolls, the overall cubic space filled by the device is actually larger, not smaller.

 

[Mavman]

Oh my. Already nine posts and not one saying, we don't need this, stupid idea, solving no problem, etc. I am happy to see tech advances being looked at through the prism of creativeness.

im sure if it were Samsung making it....

 

[ian87w]

Cool for a demo, very impractical in real use (like waiting for the screen to roll/unroll).

 

[XXPP]

plastic, soft display? no, thanks.

 

[doolar]

Guess the folks at LG have been practising rolling *stuff* beforehand

Yes they seem to be on a roll, perhaps this will be the curtain call for ordinary screens.

I'll show my self out... ?

 

[I7guy]

Hope this is more successful than the camera under the display.