This year, we've seen phones that fold in on themselves. Phones that flip open. Even a phone that swivels open. And not to be outdone by the competition, Oppo is coming out with a phone-to-tablet form factor of their own. Meet the world’s first rolling smartphone — OPPO X 2021.
At the Inno Day event, Oppo unveiled the new device. It’s a concept phone, meaning it won’t be available to the general consumer, but it is simply meant to be a proof of concept. When in normal mode, the OPPO X 2021 is your average 6.7” phone. But at the tap of your finger, its OLED display stretches, seamlessly transforming it into a 7.4” tablet.
A motorized mechanism is used to extend or contract the flexible display (which makes the OPPO X 2021’s screen size adjustable.) Plus, the scrollable screen gets support and durability from a structural plate and display laminate.
Folding phones aren’t ready to go mainstream yet. If the Galaxy Fold and its successor are any guide, folding two halves of the display on itself is not the most practical solution to the dual form factor design. You need to power a second display on the outside. And the hinge doesn’t allow for any dust or water resistance. Samsung had to re-engineer the hinge with bristles just to keep dust and debris out. There is no hinge in Oppo X 2021's design.
The durability issues aside, foldables don’t nail the aesthetics either. Both iterations of the Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s Mate X have a very prominent crease running down the center of their displays. Not to mention these foldable phones, when closed, are as thick as two phones stacked on top of each other — it can’t fit into your pocket.
The Oppo X 2021 adopts a more elegant solution to the two-in-one form factor. The phone will be brought to the market 'at the right time', says Oppo’s vice president.
