Motorola is showing off a concept smartphone that rolls out as a user slides it up.
Motorola made a big impression in 2020 with its clamshell-folding Razr, and it’s taken the flexible display to new heights at this year’s Mobile World Congress tech conference in Barcelona. The Motorola rollable phone concept has a display that wraps around the bottom of the phone. That rolled-up screen can then automatically extend outwards to create a bigger display, or roll away and provide a handy second screen. The idea is to allow for better productivity and multitasking, while also easily fitting inside your pocket.
Lenovo, which owns Motorola, also unveiled a rollable laptop at the conference this week. Like the phone, the laptop slowly rises vertically so that you can see more of a web page or have multiple apps open on one screen.
According to CNET testers, who actually got their hands on the phone at the conference, double-pressing a button on the side unrolls the phone, with the display extending beyond the top edge to create a larger 16:9 display. Double press again and it gently slides its way back in.
Certain apps will also trigger the transformation automatically. For example, if you’re watching a YouTube video and turn the phone into a horizontal position, as the YouTube app automatically flips orientation, the display will also extend outwards, providing a bigger surface to immerse you more in your content of choice.
When it’s in its small mode, the screen wraps around the back of the phone and can function as a second display. You can use it to check the weather, incoming notifications or other information. Fire up the camera and that rear display becomes a viewfinder for taking selfies.
Motorola is no longer the major mobile industry player it once was. In 2021, the company shipped just 51 million units, according to Statista data. So this tech is sure to stir up interest in the brand again. The device is also coming at a time of pain for smartphone makers, and smartphone makers are hoping to change that with new form factors, such as folding displays. Last year, the industry saw sales decline 11.3% as consumers tightened their belts, exacerbating an ongoing trend of people holding onto their phones for longer as upgrades from major players become incremental.
To be sure, the phone isn’t something you’ll be able to buy any time soon. The phone is at an early concept stage, and there’s no info on how the cameras would work, and no telling how much it will cost, either. Crossing fingers that the company will work out the kinks, fine tune the specs, and get this to consumers sooner than later.
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