The world of smartphone design is starting to get pretty wild, with manufacturers looking to deviate from the the candy bar form factor thanks to new tech like flexible panels and under screen cameras.
LG, however, is setting itself apart from the foldable devices that are becoming the new standard with its Project B handset, set to sport a rollable display and following in the footsteps of its uniquely designed swivel smartphone, the LG Wing.
LG has been working on a rollable display for a while, and we initially heard about its Project B smartphone last November, with its extendable screen, as opposed to flexible, foldable display like the Galaxy Z Fold 2, or Galaxy Z Flip.
Now, LetsGoDigital reports, the company has been awarded a patent for a device with the retractable display.
At first glance, the handset looks like a standard smartphone, but the frame can be pulled out to both the left and the right to double the screen real estate. This is achieved thanks to an inner, flexible frame that slides out of the device's metal housing.
The design has some advantage over foldable phones on the market now, with the biggest one being the absence of a hinge or crease; a panel with a fold in it will see the crease put under strain, potentially affecting the structural integrity of the display.
What's more, the rollable can adapt to how the smartphone is being used – in much the same way as the LG Wing. In landscape mode, for example, expanding the screen while playing a video or streaming music could reveal the controls so that your viewing remains uninterrupted. There's also the option of multitasking with a split-screen mode.
LG is reportedly skipping straight over the foldable trend, and is looking to launch its rollable smartphone in March, 2021 according to Neowin. It's possible that the handset will only be extendable on one side, as opposed to both as depicted in the patent, but it's a radical concept and we're intrigued to see a company bucking the foldable trend to try something new.
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